YuYu Hakusho: The Gray Fox Files
by IzzynChia
Summary: Sequel to Neither Enemy nor Friend.  After Kurama and Gray Fox's fight, Koenma is looking for the cyborg ninja, who is now a renegade spirit.  As Team Urameshi tries to find him, a familiar threat is on the rise.   :Rated for gore and strong language:
1. The Renegade Spirit

This story is a work of Fan Fiction. Any and all characters, situations, story arcs, etc, are all fictitious, and bear no meaning on the main canon of the respective franchises. All of this was written by two nerdy, strange college students who should be studying rather than writing this story.

Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, and all its characters are owned by Hideo Kojima, Kojima Productions, and Konami

YuYu Hakusho, and all its characters are owned by Yoshihiro Togashi, Studio Pierrot, Sheuisha, Shonen Jump, Fuji TV, Animax, VIZ Media, and Funimation

Please support the official releases.

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><p>Notes from the Authors: The following story takes place inbetween the Dark Tournament and Chapter Black Sagas of YuYu Hakusho, and inbetween Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.<p>

It is recommended that you read Neither Enemy nor Friend before diving into this story, as it is a direct continuation of what happened between Kurama and Gray Fox's bout.

Some scenes may also contain subject matter not suitable for everyone. This includes strong language, scenes of blood, gore, and other ghastly-type stuff. So if you hate people dropping F-Bombs and cussing up storms (We're looking at you, Yusuke...), and if you're squeamish with bloody scenes, please look away.

With that, let's begin the story. We hope you enjoy!

-Izzy Raimi and Chia

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><p>YuYu Hakusho: The Gray Fox Files<p>

A YuYu Hakusho/Metal Gear Collaborative Crossover Story

By Chia and Izzy Raimi

Ch.1: The Renegade Spirit

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><p>You would think that death would be the only solution to escape the chaos of the Living World. Many people have felt as if they've suffered enough of their mundane life, or have had very traumatic experiences before, that they would just want it all to end. If you talk to someone who had felt nothing but pain, they would say something that you are guaranteed you've heard before. They want to be released from their pain through the quickness and swiftness of death. And it was not just the humans either. Even the greatest, heinous, and most fiercest demons have wished to be released from endless misery and suffering. Though there's a common misconception that no one will tell you, however. Death isn't all what it is cracked up to be.<p>

Just like the Living World, Spirit World and Demon World had their own share of problems.

For the ruler of the Spirit World, his job never ceased. King Enma Jr., or Koenma as he was most formally known, was deep in thought about something that never happened before. Earlier, his ogre workers were scrambling and tripping over each other in the office area when they heard a spirit was loose. There was shouting, angry scribbles with pens, and even a few sprained ankles during the whole ordeal. Reports were rampant of a strange spirit just walking around the general area, and has even laid waste to a few demons who were still awaiting judgment on their placement in the afterlife, but it's undetermined as whether or not this one has evil intentions. To put it simply, for the first time, there was a renegade spirit roaming in the Spirit World. In all the centuries Koenma has passed judgment on every spirit that was brought before him, not one has gone under his nose. But, as they say, there is a first time for everything.

What perplexed Koenma, however, was how this event could have transpired. Koenma thought to himself very hard about the circumstances at how this could've happened. Could a demon have gone through the portal without him realizing? No, that couldn't be possible, because the portal was strong enough to keep out even the strongest A or S-Class demon, and this spirit seemed very strong on its own. Could it have been an escapee from Hell? Did a spirit hate his judgment so much that he was wreaking havoc in Spirit World as retribution? Thinking, however, that wasn't possible, because there were reports of other demons that were harmful to begin with who were already killed. Man, this is a brain bender! Who or what was this spirit?

Unfortunately, Koenma's pondering was brought to a screeching halt when a big, blue, horned ogre wearing a leopard loincloth bursted through his doors with stacks of paper in hand. "Koenma, sir! Koenma, sir! We have a problem!" The ogre said.

Koenma slowly opens his eyes, staring daggers at, as he calls, the "Blue Annoyance" before him. "What is it, George? What could possibly be more important than trying to figure out what spirit has somehow messed up the protocol in this place, and for all we know, causing chaos when we least expect it!"

George tried to keep his footing as the Spirit World ruler was yelling at him. "Well uh, sir, it's about the spirit you asked Botan to retrieve in Alaska." He holds up a folder. "I have her report right here, and there's something you should know."

Koenma raises an eyebrow. "Really? Like what?"

The blue ogre tried his best to convey his words. "Well, uh, you see…" He paused. "…There was no one there."

A brief silence for what seemed to have lasted an eternity filled the room, though that silence was broken with only one word from Koenma.

"…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

George stumbled and fell with the papers falling right on top of him, however still holding Botan's report in his hand. Groaning in pain, George held it up for Koenma. "Just read it sir." He said, his speech muffled. "It will explain everything."

Frantically, Koenma hopped off his chair, running and grabbing the folder and immediately opening it while going back to his seat, all the while whimpering in fear. "Doooh, this isn't good." He said to himself, sucking on his pacifier nervously. "This isn't suppose to happen. Doooh, Botan. I really hope you're not slacking." As he quickly scanned the report, a giant exclamation point flashed in his mind. _What the hell?_ Koenma thought. _This can't be right… Botan couldn't find anyone over there?_

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><p>Shadow Moses Island; 2 hours earlier<p>

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><p>If you ever believed a war zone could ever be established and waged in a confined room, you've not experienced a one on one fight against Metal Gear REX. The twisted, burning wreckage, the smoldering embers, and the very scent of spilled blood, it was all still fresh from Snake and Liquid's battle earlier. A strange addition to the rather grim scenery was the arrival of a young looking woman riding a floating ore. She had blue hair, pink eyes, and wore a pink kimono. To anyone, this would seem like some strange hallucination, but she was actually here on business. She recalled what Koenma said to her before she said foot on this cold part of the United States.<p>

_ Now, Botan. There was a report that someone died in an area called Shadow Moses Island. It's located in the Fox Archipelago in Alaska, in the US. You know what to do when you get there. Just make it quick, it's very cold there._

Botan shivered as she landed. _Brrr, he wasn't kidding. _She thought. As she got off her ore, she walked and looked around. The place looked like it was hell. The lights in the room were red from the alarms going off, giving it a grim look. Fires were in the corners, smoke still apparent, and she even saw a discarded rocket launcher near her feet. However, she jumped when she saw a tall shadow on the wall. That shadow belonged to a huge machine, what appeared to be a giant robot. It looked like it was a hunchback dinosaur, or some other creature of some weird design. The structure puzzled Botan. _What is that thing? _She thought._ That looks like something out of Koenma's manga._ She walked over to it, inspecting it. Man, did someone ever put a number on it. It was scraped, dented, and some of its parts were broken. The cockpit was still hanging open. It looked like a menacing landmark, long forgotten.

Then, she looked at the feet of the giant mech. She noticed a lot of blood near its feet. So, this is where the deceased lied. Yusuke sure was lucky he didn't die that way. Now, if there was a place of death, surely a spirit still wandered around here, right?

Botan looked around. "Hello?" She called out. Maybe the spirit was scared and didn't want to come out. "If there's anyone here, you don't have to be afraid. I'm not gonna hurt you. Besides, you can't hurt what's already dead!" She walked around, scanning the area. There was no answer at all. All was quiet. She called out again. "Is there anyone here? I'm here to collect you and take you to the Spirit World! Sooner or later, you'll have to come with me!" Still silent. Botan seemed confused by this. There was almost always a spirit she could find and collect. But, no one was here.

Botan put a thoughtful finger to her lip. How could she coerce this spirit to show itself? Then, she had an idea. _Bingo!_ She thought, jubilantly. She called out again.

"If you come out, I promise I'll give you a kiss~!" She said, winking. Surprisingly, still no answer. Frustrated, Botan stomped her foot. Surely that would've worked! Huffing, she climbed on her ore, and flew around the area, looking for the spirit. She looked in the corners, in the ceiling, even underneath the giant mech. Something didn't seem right with the mech, however. She flew down to where the bloodstain was. She climbed off her ore, kneeled down, and inspected the spilled crimson fluid. She noticed it was dry, and looked at the bottom of the mech's foot. Nothing was evident, except the blood. No body parts, no organs, not even tissues. It's as if the body completely shattered out of existence.

Then it donned on her. If there was no body, then that means…

"There's really no one here…" She said to herself. Though inside, a bad feeling sunk in. _Uh oh… This isn't good._

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><p>Koenma's Office; Present<p>

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><p>After reading through the report, Koenma closed the folder. So, if the spirit on Shadow Moses Island was missing, and if there's a loose spirit in the Spirit World. <em>That's it!<em> Koenma thought, snapping his tiny fingers. It would seem that Koenma has found a small link between the disappeared spirit from the Human World, and the renegade spirit.

Looking forward at George, who was still reorganizing his papers, he had an idea. "George, get me Botan and Kurama. I need to have a word with them about this."

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><p>"So, you think this might be serious, Botan?" Asks Kurama, walking up to Koenma's office doors.<p>

"I really hope not. Though I feel it might've been about that report I filed earlier." Says Botan. Both of them open the doors, seeing Koenma with a stack of files on his desk.

"Ah, Botan! Kurama! Delighted to see you. Please, have a seat. I have an important matter to discuss with you." Botan and Kurama sit down across from the Spirit World ruler, wondering why he has all those files on his desk.

"What exactly is this all about, Koenma sir?" Asks Botan.

"Well, it's about your report." He replies.

_Shoot, I knew it!_ Botan laughed nervously. "Okay, sir, now let me explain. I know I couldn't find anybody, and I admit that even I can be blind from time to time, but rest assured, I would nev-"

Koenma raises a hand. "Take it easy, Botan. You're not in trouble. I just need to assure you that I think I have a link between your missing spirit and this renegade spirit we have here." Botan sighs in relief, and Koenma turns his look towards the former fox thief. "However, I think that you know more about this ordeal than we do, Kurama." Kurama raises an eyebrow. "Those E-Class demons you and Hiei took care of a while ago. I know you could easily take those guys down. But those scrapes you had, those wounds…" He pointed to the areas his uniform was ripped. "Those were too clean cut for an E-Class. Who did you have a fight with?"

A small feeling of dread sunk into Kurama for a second. He still freshly remembered his fight with the cyborg ninja Gray Fox. Was he the renegade spirit Koenma was talking about? Kurama tried his best to dodge the question. "…Hiei. I fought Hiei. You know how he is. Always wanting action, tired of just standing around. So we were walking around, I turn and I said, 'Hey, fight me.' He says, 'Okay.' So, he takes his sword and just rips up my clothes, and… you're not believing a word of it, are you?"

Koenma puts small palm to his face. He sighs. "You know, with how much of a tactical specialist you are, and how you're good at strategizing during certain situations, I would've expected a better answer than that." Koenma said. "Do you really think I'm that stupid? Don't answer that!"

Kurama looked down. _Well, that failed miserably_. "I apologize. I just… I don't want to reveal a lot about this man. He's innocent, and I don't wish to see him punished."

Koenma hops on his desk. "So, are you saying you did meet the renegade spirit?" Kurama nodded. "Are you really worried if this spirit gets in trouble?"

"Very worried." Kurama said. "He had me try to kill him, but I spared him. And Hiei almost tried to kill him as well. He's a spirit in pain, and has been in pain ever since he was alive, and I don't want anymore of it administered on him. He told me what he had been through, and I feel that he has suffered enough. He is unlike Yusuke. He's battle hardened, and not like any human I've ever dealt with thus far. If he's found, don't be too harsh on him, that is all I ask."

Koenma sighs and puts a hand on Kurama's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything like that, unless things get really, really drastic." He said, looking straight at Kurama. For a thief, at least Kurama can be truthful and sincere. "If he's what you say he is, I give you my word that I'll try to see if we can bring him in alive. But for now, all I need is some information. Do you know if this spirit has a name?"

Kurama thought to himself. What was Gray Fox's real name again? He recalled his conversation with him before he took off.

_My name is_ _Frank Jaeger. Though that was a name from long ago. Call me… Gray Fox._

Kurama looks at Koenma in the eye. "He goes by the name Gray Fox. But his real name is Frank Jaeger, if that helps at all."

Koenma thinks to himself. "Frank Jaeger, huh? Let's see…" He hops back into his chair, and shuffles through a stack of files. He finds a folder listed Frank Jaeger – Top Secret. Opening the folder, he reads aloud Frank's file:

"Frank Jaeger, also known as Gray Fox and Null, was born sometime in the 1950s. He fought in many battles and was apart of the military unit FOX. He would later join the FOXHOUND unit under the leadership of one Big Boss, and worked with Solid Snake in Operation Intrude N313 and Operation Intrude F014, the Outer Heaven Uprising and the Zanzibar Land Disturbance respectively. He was killed in a fist fight with Snake in a minefield after he was under orders to betray him by Big Boss." Wait a minute, killed? How could that be possible? He would've passed judgment on his spirit a long time ago. He took a look at the date for the Zanzibar Land mission, it was 1999. That was six years ago! What was even stranger was that his file ended around that time. This seemed very surreal, as if someone erased everything after Zanzibar Land.

Kurama and Botan looked very puzzled by this turn of events. How could he have died and not even appear in the Spirit World, and also not even appear as a ghost in the Human World? Koenma then examined one of the names mentioned. _Solid Snake… that sounds familiar._ He scours through a few more files and pulls another folder that reads David-Top Secret. He starts to read his file:

"David, also known as Solid Snake, was a clone born from the DNA of Big Boss. He and his brother Liquid Snake were a part of the project Les Enfants Terribles, where the two of them were deemed as the "Sons of Big Boss". Originally a Green Beret, he joined the special force group FOXHOUND and took part of Operation Intrude N313 and Operation Intrude F014, the Outer Heaven Uprising and the Zanzibar Land Disturbance, respectively. He worked with Frank Jaeger, or Gray Fox, on both missions, and both worked under the leadership of Big Boss. Snake then killed Jaeger in a fistfight in a minefield in Zanzibar Land. Later on, he would take part in a mission that would lead to Shadow Moses Island, where he quelled a rebellion involving renegade FOXHOUND members Decoy Octopus, Revolver Ocelot, Vulcan Raven, Sniper Wolf, Psycho Mantis, and their leader, Liquid Snake. He was also responsible in preventing the launch of a nuclear missile, thus saving thousands of innocent lives."

After reading the file, Koenma closed the folder. Looking up at Botan and Kurama, he had a distinguishable smile behind his pacifier. "My friends," Koenma said. "I think we have just found our lead."


	2. Flirting With Death

Ch. 2: Flirting With Death

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><p>The bitter cold air of Alaska was more than what Botan could ask for. Here she was, flying 20,000 feet in the air, looking for small cabin in the Twin Lakes region. It annoyed Botan that she had to deal with this cold weather again, after searching for the spirit on Shadow Moses. She would make a mental note to dress a little more warmly when she's going to cold climate areas from now on, since this was no place for a kimono. It would be a very short time before she reached her destination, but she was recalling as to why she was in this snow covered area yet again.<p>

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><p>Koenma's Office; 30 minutes earlier<p>

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><p>"You want me to go back there AGAIN!" Asked Botan, surprised. "But it's cold there! I don't have any warm enough attire for this!"<p>

"I don't really see what the problem is." Koenma said. "It's only going to be for a short time, and you'll be inside most of the time anyway." He handed her Solid Snake's file. "You're going to be finding this man, and see what else he knows about Frank Jaeger. He's the best lead we have right now, and this will be a great chance for us to fill in the blanks on him."

Botan thumbed through the file. He saw how grizzled, yet somehow very handsome he looked. "And this man knew him?" she asked.

"That's right. He knew Jeager and fought with him in Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land. But we need to figure out what happened to see if there's correlation between them on Shadow Moses. I'm sure he'll be easy to deal with. Though keep things simple. He's as aloof as Hiei, but a little more relaxed."

Botan laughed. "I bet he and Hiei would make good friends with each other."

Koenma smiled. "Take down some notes of Snake in your guidebook, and be sure to make copies of the file for your reference. Ask him anything he knows about Jeager, and what he knows about Shadow Moses. He should have some good details about this."

Botan pocketed the file. "You got it sir!" She winked.

"That's what I love to hear." Koenma said, giving a thumbs up. "Now get going. The sooner we take care of this, the better."

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><p>Twin Lakes, Alaska; Present<p>

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><p>Botan began her ascent as a small log cabin came into view. It looked rather homely, and it seemed so peaceful here. She could see why this man loves to be a loner, away from the hustle and bustle of people. But he's going to get one hell of a surprise when he sees Death before him. Botan landed on her feet, picking up her ore. She looked at the cabin. <em>Now, how will I get in? Hopefully he's home…<em> She thought, as she approached the small building. To her side, she noticed that there were a group of Husky dogs asleep in the snow. Botan smiled at the site.

_Awww, he has pets! He should be a nice man._ Though, she had to be very, very quiet if she was going to make it pass them. She tip-toed quietly, lightly picking up her steps so as not to make any loud crunches in the snow. After a slow trudge, she made it pass the Huskies, and breathed a sigh of relief. Far too often, dogs would catch her immediately, because of her high spiritual presence. As she proceeded to knock on the door, she noticed it moved an inch. She looked surprised. _Well, I guess he forgot to lock it._ She grabbed the knob and opened it slightly, trying not to make a noise. _And in we go…_

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><p>A middle aged man with brown hair was on the floor of his bedroom doing sit-ups. He was without a shirt, in just jeans and boots. He was counting and grunting in rhythm with his rises. Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred, and with that, he finished his last part of his exercise routine. He rose, and stood up, holding a towel drying off his forehead from sweating. As he was just about to hit the showers, he hears an audible thud, along with a high pitched "Ow!" He froze in place, trying to gauge where the noise came from.<p>

Someone's inside. But how did they get pass the dogs? The only people he knew who got pass was that team Col. Roy Campbell sent in to retrieve him. Without a second thought, he reaches into a drawer, and draws his weapon, a Mk. 23 SOCOM handgun, the same weapon he used on his previous mission. He then moves over to one of the racks and snaps on a bullet-proof vest. He loads a magazine, cocks his gun, and holds it ready.

He gingerly moves forward, keeping his footsteps quiet. He darts his head left and right to see if there were any threats in the corners. As he made his way through the hallway, he hugged against the corner where the living room wrapped around. He leans to the side, and sees that the coast seemed clear. But it still didn't sit right with him. He whipped around the corner, aiming his SOCOM to anyone who might pop out and threaten him. He was right at least. The coast really was clear. Though there was a strange addition to his living area.

A rowing ore lied next to the coffee table. He walked over, lowering his weapon, and picked it up. "An ore?" He said to himself raising an eyebrow. "There's not a river or lake here for another five miles. How the hell did it get in here?"

"Oh!" A voice said behind him. "That's mine, actually. See I dropped it when I tripped and-"

Suddenly, the man whipped around, dropping the ore and aiming his gun at the source of the voice. He saw that a blue haired woman in a pink kimono was standing right in front of him. Was she the intruder?

"Woah, there!" She said, throwing her hands up in submission. "I'm not here to cause any trouble. Please, put that away."

"Who are you?" The man asked angrily. "How did you get past the Huskies? Who sent you?"

"Please, if you calm down, I'll be happy to answer all your questions. But I really advise that you put that gun away."

The man didn't seem too convinced. "How do you know where I live? Did Campbell send you?" He asked. "If this is another mission, it's not happening. He said himself FOXHOUND was disbanded after-"

The blue haired woman raised her hands. "Please sir, I assure you. No one sent me except my superior, which is not this Campbell you speak of. And we don't want you for any missions. We just want some information from you."

"Is that right?" He growled. "Just what do you want from me?"

"First, I need to be certain." She points at him. "Do you, by any chance, go by the name Solid Snake?"

The man widened his eyes. _What? How does she…_This perplexed him. "Yeah, that's me." He responds. "Who wants to know?"

"No one. Just me." She says. "Besides, I think you'll want to know who I am as well, Mr. Solid Snake." She puts a hand to her chest. "My name is Botan, pilot of the River Styx. Or, as you people are familiar with, I'm the Grim Reaper." She grinned cheerfully.

Snake wasn't sure what to make of any of this. Was she joking? "The Grim Reaper?" he asked. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Botan grins. "Nope! That's something I never joke about! How do you think I got here in the first place? You didn't think blue haired girls were normal around here, did you?"

Snake raised an eyebrow. _Huh. She's not kidding._"You seem a little cheery though. Aren't you supposed to look a little more menacing?"

She laughed. "Don't worry, I get that a lot. I guess you humans aren't used to seeing me as your personification of death yet." To her confusion, Snake stared at her. "What is it?" She asked. "Is there something wrong?"

Snake cleared his throat, as he lowered his weapon. "Uh, nothing." He responded. "I just never expected Death to look so… cute."

Botan blushed at his comment. "Aww, thanks!" She said, rubbing the back of her head. "Though surely you don't mean that."

"No, I'm serious." Said Snake.

"So, you really are quite the charmer. I'm familiar with the term 'flirting with death,' but nothing quite like this." She said, smirking with a slight wink. "But all flattery aside, I'm mainly here on business." _Sorry, Botan. He does look cute, but save that date for another time._She thought to herself. Such a pity too, he looked like a nice catch. "There are a few things I'd like to ask you. First and foremost, I need to see if you know anything about a man that goes by the name Frank Jaeger."

"Frank Jaeger?" Snake asked. How did she know about him? "You mean Gray Fox?"

Botan snapped her fingers. "Bingo! That's him! That's the one."

Snake lowered his gun, and put it down on the coffee table. "Looks like you might be in for a long talk. Please, have a seat." Botan nodded as she took a seat on one side of the sofa. Taking off his bullet-proof vest, and setting it next to his SOCOM, Snake sat on the opposite side, about to take out a cigarette. He held the box out to Botan, offering one.

"No thanks, Snake. I don't smoke."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? Death doesn't smoke, huh?" He smirked to himself as he took a cigarette and lit it with his Zippo lighter. "So, tell me," he says, taking a drag from his cigarette. "What do you want to know about Gray Fox?"

"Well, we already have a good amount of information on him in his file." Botan said. "Though what's curious is that his file ended right after 1999, when he was in Zanzibar Land. We have reason to believe he's lived longer than that, and we think that you might know about it."

"Is that right?"

"Yes. You see, I retrieve souls and take them into the Spirit World. I deliver them to the ruler there, where their souls pass in judgment, though we have two anomalies that we think link to each other. I went to retrieve a spirit that was supposed to have been on Shadow Moses Island, though there was nothing there. No body, no spirit, but just a giant bloodstain right next to a huge robot. The other issue is that there is a renegade spirit roaming in the Spirit World that's gone right under our noses. We think that this links to the same spirit."

Snake was surprised that there was so much mission structure within the afterlife. "What does this have to do with Gray Fox?" He asked.

Botan shrugged. "That's why I'm here to talk to you, Snake. Did you ever see Frank before he died?"

Snake looked down as he continued to nurse his smoke. So many memories of Shadow Moses came flooding back to him; his fight with Liquid, standing toe to toe with Metal Gear, and witnessing Gray Fox's last stand and utter demise. It was strange having to revisit those memories. "Yeah. I actually saw him die." He looked at her. "That huge robot you said you saw next to that blood stain?" Botan nodded, as Snake continued. "That was Metal Gear. Gray Fox helped handicap it by destroying its radome device. He was mortally wounded by it, and was crushed with Metal Gear's foot, as if he were just a grape. I was able to finish it off, destroying it, but it cost Fox his very life."

Botan looked down. "I'm sorry. It must've been hard witnessing that."

"You have no idea." Snake looked at her. "He was a great soldier, but he was tortured enough as it was when I saw him. I really thought he died when we were in Zanzibar Land. But he was put in some kind of exoskeleton armor, and fought exactly like a ninja did."

He took another long drag of his smoke. "But I could hear in his voice that he was tortured. He was in terrible pain, and wanted me to keep fighting him to the death. But he arrived just in time and saved me from Metal Gear, buying me enough time to destroy it."

Botan took out her notebook, and scribbled some notes. "So, that was him on Shadow Moses." She said, talking to herself as she wrote down the details what Snake just said.

"You guessed it." He responded. "He was a great soldier, and a good friend. He saved me, and the whole world when he helped stop Metal Gear. I'm glad he's at least free from his shackles now." He blows a puff of smoke, looking at Botan. "Does that help at all?"

She nodded. "Yep! This is actually helping out a lot." She said, looking up from her writing. "I think this made some great progress."

"I'm glad I could help out. But you never really told me, what exactly do you need this information for?"

"Well, we have a suspicion that Frank is roaming around the Spirit World, and may just be that renegade spirit I told you about. We don't know for certain if it truly is him, but it certainly is looking that way." Botan says, putting a hand on her chin. "We still have no idea if his intentions are good or bad, or if he has any intentions at all, but whatever he is doing, he needs to be stopped, and we need to bring him in. We can't risk him doing anything rash while he is on the run, so we're working fast to try and find him. "

_Hmmm._ He thought to himself. _Just like a real fox, always on the run with no place to go. A real nomad._Snaked sighed as he put out his cigarette. "Well, it seems like you have a lot on your plate already. Gray Fox is not to be taken with a grain of salt. Do you know why he has "Fox" in his name?" Botan shook her head. "The name "Fox" was the highest ranked codename in the FOXHOUND unit. He was the only person to receive that codename, and was the best of the best at the time." Snake said as Botan continued jotting down notes. "I wasn't kidding when I said he was a good soldier. He was very skilled even before he had that armor, and there's no telling what he may be doing in that world if he is there. I sincerely hope you have someone good enough to contain him."

Botan winked at him as she stopped writing. "I believe we do. We've got a great team handy if things get too hectic."

"Good. Just be careful dealing with him." Said Snake. "If you're not fast enough, he'll kill you on the spot."

"Don't worry, Snake. He'll be in good hands once we contain him." Botan said.

"But what do you plan on doing with him once you capture him?"

"We're just going to give him his proper judgment. All spirits need it once they die. And don't worry, that event you told me about on Shadow Moses was actually his final redeeming act, so he'll be put in good hands."

Snake smiled. _At least you'll finally rest in peace, old friend._Though something still puzzled Snake. How much did she really know about him? "So, if you're the Grim Reaper, does that mean you know everything about me?" he asked.

"Pretty much." Botan said nonchalantly.

"Everything?"

"Everything." She repeated, nodding.

Snake scowled, making an annoyed low growling sound. "…"

"Oh, don't worry!" She chirped, patting him on the back. "It's never made public! All of your information is perfectly kept top secret in our files."

"That makes me feel so much better." Snake retorted, sarcastically.

"Why?" Botan asked teasingly, leaning towards the retired mercenary. "Is there something you really don't want us to know, Secret Agent Man?"

"Plenty!" Snake snapped, glaring straight into her eyes.

Botan was taken aback, but had a slight grin across her lips. "You really do like to keep a distance from people, don't you?"

Snake nodded. "Yeah, especially if you're a person inside my line of work. On the battlefield, you develop a tendency to maintain a distance from-"

Botan started laughing. "What's so funny about that?" Snake asked, raising an eyebrow.

Botan tried her best to compose herself. "Ha ha ha ha! Your entry in my guidebook really did live up to your reputation. You always seem to use those 'Battlefield Metaphors.'" She reached into her sleeve, slipping in her notebook and pulled out her pocket sized Spirit Guidebook. She thumbed through until she found Snake's entry.

"Ah, here we are! 'Solid Snake, real name David, age 33. Possesses an IQ of 180, and fluent in six different languages. Personality is reserved, soft spoken, aloof, and very cold to people he doesn't know, but still sociable if approached correctly. Possesses a soldier's outlook on life, and has been a great service in the field of covert operations and situations that call for 'Tactical Espionage Action'. Skills such as these have earned him the moniker of 'The Legendary Mercenary'". She finished, closing her guidebook. "You're resume is a whole lot better than a certain someone I know." Botan said, smiling.

Snake shrugged. "Well, at least you mainly have straight facts. Though files and papers and guidebooks are really nothing like the legend."

Botan giggled. "Well, I wouldn't be much of a Grim Reaper if I had fabricated information on all the spirits I've retrieved. My boss would be very angry with me if I did."

Snake couldn't help but smile. _Never knew Death itself was so cheerful._ He thought to himself._ She almost reminds me of Mei Ling. This Botan is something else…_

Suddenly, there was a ringing sound. Snake darted his eyes to his side. _That's not my Codec…_he thought. He noticed that Botan took out a small pocket mirror. Wait, that mirror was ringing?

She opens it, and saw Koenma's face appear on her screen. "This is Botan. Go ahead, sir."

"When you're done getting information from Snake, Botan, get over here as soon as you can." Koenma said. "We've heard of a strange, foreign spirit wearing full armor is a few miles from the castle. We think this might just be Frank Jaeger."

Snake felt as if a giant exclamation point flashed in his mind. _Gray Fox! They found him?_

"Do you know if he's made any threats or demands?" Asked Botan.

"So far, nothing. Observations say that he is just roaming, though he's taken down a few demons just moments ago. It seems that he's not instigating the fights, so he may not be a threat. But if we move in, that may change drastically. We'll have to be prudent with this one. I'm sending for Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Kurama to rendezvous here. You'd better get back here as well, and quickly."

"Don't worry sir! I've got all I needed for now. I'm on my way." She said, closing the device. As she was putting it away, she went to retrieve her ore.

"So… duty calls, huh?" Snake said.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I'd love to continue this another time. But for now, I gotta run." She winks at Snake. "I'll definitely swing by another time to see you. You make for some nice company."

Snake smiled. "Glad you enjoy a hermit like me." he says, picking up his SOCOM. "Just do me a favor." He says as he unloads the magazine.

Botan pauses as she opens the door. "Oh? What's that?"

"Next time, ask before you come in. I wouldn't want to be known as the man who killed Death. Plus, I hate wasting bullets." He said, smirking.

"Will do." Botan said, grinning. "See ya, Snake! It's been fun!" And with that, she hopped on her ore, and flew into the distance. Snake watched as she faded into the distance. "Man, what a woman." He said to himself as he shut the door.


	3. Hunting the FOX

Ch. 3: Hunting the FOX

* * *

><p>It was always something, was it? Here he was, a hard working kind of guy who risked life and limb in the Dark Tournament not too long ago, and he couldn't even get a week's worth of rest. Was it really too much to ask that he just wanted to skip his school detention and just play some video games? Sure, a Spirit Detective was always on the call for a mission, but if this is gratitude for showing you nearly got killed trying to kill other freaks, then Koenma really needs to stick is pacifier right up his-<p>

"Urameshi! Hello? I'm talking to you! "

The 14 year old Spirit Detective who was dressed in his trademark green school uniform (which wasn't even allowed at his school, mind you) turned to look at his rival and colleague. The young Detective had his jet black hair slicked back like always, and still looked a little bruised from the Dark Tournament, though it's really nothing, since he was actually dead at one point in time.

"Oh great. What d'ya want now, Mr. Sunshine?" Yusuke Urameshi said.

The red haired teen caught up with Yusuke as they walked down the long castle hallway. He had his hair styled in his characteristic pompadour and wore his blue school uniform (which WAS allowed at his school, mind you). He was a little taller than Yusuke, but don't tell that straight to Yusuke's face. "I've been asking you for the twentieth time, what the hell does Koenma want us back here for?"

The young Detective folded his hands behind his head. "Well, Kuwabara, my good SIR, if I would've known, I'd have told you before we came here!"

"So, Koenma didn't tell you a thing?" Kazuma Kuwabara asked.

"Trust me, I would have known far more than you."

"Well, that's rude." Kuwabara said, scowling. "Dragging us all back here without telling us why."

Yusuke smirked. "Honestly, I don't think your brain could've handled it, caveman."

Kuwabara stumbled. "H-Hey! I'm gonna pound you for that, you punk!"

"Oh, pipe down, would ya?" Yusuke said. " Don't you know a joke when you hear it?"

"Well, aren't you the comedian, funny man?"

And so they bantered on and on, and this had been going on since they first arrived at the castle. Generally, it takes a good five to ten minutes walking down the long castle hallway, but usually the long walk was quiet. Because Yusuke and Kuwabara argued constantly about any subject that came to mind, it somehow made the walk go by a lot faster. Needless to say, before either could get a word in edgewise, they both arrived at the big doors that lead to the main office area.

Yusuke looked over to Kuwabara. "Well, what are you waiting for? Ladies first."

Kuwabara couldn't help but grumble at Yusuke. He reached for the handle, and hoisted the big door open. To their surprise, the ogres that worked were even more hard at work. Some even hobbled around with casts on their legs. And they didn't even remember them shouting this loud before. This must've been pretty serious then.

As they walked in, they noticed Hiei, Kurama, and Botan standing near Koenma's door. Figures, they're always the ones that are first. Kurama and Botan smiled at Yusuke and Kuwabara as they approached, while Hiei just looked off to the side with his arms crossed.

"Hello, friends." Kurama said. "It's great to see you two. How have you been?"

Yusuke smiled at the Fox Demon. "Hey there, Kurama. I've honestly been better. Did Koenma say why he said he wanted everyone here?"

"He didn't but I think I know why."

Yusuke leaned inwards. "…and? What do you know?"

"I'm sure he'll explain once he lets us in."

Kuwabara moves toward the door. "Why are you guys waiting out here anyway?"

Botan shrugged. "I wish I knew. Normally, he lets us in straight away, but we've been waiting for about half an hour out here."

"Do _you_ know what's going on, Botan?" Kuwabara asked.

Hiei rolled his eyes. "The last time I checked, we weren't deaf. Yusuke already asked that question."

Kuwabara steamed as the stoic demon continued to snark at his expense. "You half-pint dick! If I wanted you to say something-"

"Children please." They heard a voice as the doors opened. "No need to make a fuss, now." The doors opened to reveal Koenma standing before Team Urameshi. "Sorry to keep all of you waiting." He said with his arms behind his back.

Kuwabara mumbled. "He started it."

"Oh hush, Kuwabara." Koenma said, waving his arm. "You'll have time to bicker with Hiei later. Right now, we have an important matter to discuss. Please, come in." Koenma went over to his desk as the ensemble followed suit.

Botan moved forward as the Spirit World ruler sat down. She held a few pieces of paper. "I've got the info you wanted, sir."

"Good. Set it down on my desk, please. I'll look at it later. But right now, you all are probably wondering why I called you here in the first place." Koenma stood on his chair. "We've had rampant reports of a renegade spirit roaming the Spirit World lately. It was a little difficult to get a lock on him, but we've got an idea of where he is now."

Koenma pulled a small remote from his pocket. He pushed the button, and a blurry image from what seemed to be a surveillance camera appeared on the big round screen in front of them. What was on the image seemed like a grey armored humanoid figure who had just engaged in battle not too long after the picture was taken. It seemed like he had a sword as a weapon, and had what looked like blood splattered on him. His stance appeared to be that of a fighter, tall and refined. It was a figure that Kurama was very familiar with.

"This surveillance photo was taken just twenty minutes ago, about twenty-three to thirty miles from the Castle." Koenma said "As you can see, he's already made his mark by taking down a few demons. Pretty powerful ones, too." Koenma then turned to Kurama as he continued studying the picture. "Tell me, Kurama. Do you recognize the figure in this photograph?"

Kurama moved closer to the picture as he inspected it. "All too well, Koenma. That figure is Gray Fox."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Gray Fox? Sounds like an action hero's name." He said as he held back a laugh.

"It's an alias he goes by." said Kurama, turning to face his comrades. "His real name is Frank Jaeger, though."

"Indeed." Koenma said. " However, 'Gray Fox' is actually a code name of his. He goes by a few others, such as Null." Koenma hopped off his chair as he walked in front of Yusuke and the others. "What we know about this man is that he is an experienced fighter, as he was a soldier before he died. He is the renegade spirit we've been trying to find."

Hiei smirked to himself as the group continued to discuss the matter. _So, that cyborg didn't leave after all. Fine, I'll play along. This may be the only time I finish what Kurama started._

Kuwabara raised his hand. "Why would he want to be causing trouble here? It's not like you guys were going to send him to Hell or anything. Were you?"

Koenma raised a finger. "That's just it, Kuwabara. We haven't made any judgment on him at all. He just slipped by undetected."

"That's true" Botan said. "You are aware that I bring in ghosts from the Living World, and bring them here. Much like I did with you, Yusuke."

"I was with you that whole time, remember?" Yusuke retorted.

"But unlike what usually happens," Botan continued. "I couldn't find anything. No body, no soul, nothing except its blood. It was very strange." She put a thoughtful hand under her chin.

Kurama interjected. "Aside from that, he is also very skilled in combat. He is as fast as I am, if not faster."

"How fast are we talking?" Yusuke asked.

"He blocked my Rose Whiplash for fifteen seconds. I counted! No one I've faced could block, let alone dodge it, for five seconds." Kurama responded.

Botan whistled. "That's rather impressive." She said.

"Wait. You fought this guy?" Yusuke said.

"Yes, I did." Kurama answered, nodding.

"Why? What was his beef with you?" Kuwabara asked.

"He didn't have one." Kurama said, shaking his head. "He had no quarrel with me whatsoever. The moment we met, he told me he wanted to die by combat, and chose me as his opponent."

"That's weird." Yusuke says, crossing his arms. "He dies and still wants to fight. Talk about an action hog. Anything else we should know about this guy?"

"Yes. He is also able to withstand a lot of pain as well. It's as if he is impervious to it. He can even turn invisible, and that somehow masks his spirit energy. It's next to impossible to detect where he is when his invisibility is triggered." Kurama explained.

"Does he have any weapons we should know about?" Yusuke asked.

"Only a sword. But even so, he's deadly without it, as well."

Kuwabara's eyes widened. "What is this? Are we dealing with The Terminator here? This guy's a freak!"

"He is definitely a curious case, but he is human. We just have to be careful with him." Said Kurama

Yusuke put his hands behind his head. "Well, it's not like he's anything we can't handle. I mean, we've faced worse in the Dark Tournament."

Kurama responded. "That may be so, but this man is smart. Even the Toguro brothers weren't this intelligent. Gray Fox is cold, calculating and very focused. We have to be smart about this. Pure muscle alone is not going to help against him."

"He's right, you know." Koenma said. "As his file states, Frank Jaeger was once with an elite group of soldiers known as FOXHOUND." Koenma picked up the notes Botan handed to him. He flipped through the pages and explained, "according to what Botan's notes say, he was the only one given the codename "FOX", which means he was the best soldier in the unit."

As Koenma continued, Yusuke was actually impressed by the man's credentials. "This guy's a freaking super soldier! Is there anything this guy _hasn't_ done?" He asked.

"You could ask him yourself, if you like." Koenma smiled. "But that's not important. Your mission is simple. You are to retrieve Frank Jaeger and bring him back here. Alive." Koenma stressed that last word.

"Alive? After what he's capable of?" Kuwabara asked. "Why don't we just kill him?"

Hiei smiled. "It would save you a whole lot of trouble." The Fire Demon said.

"We're not killing him." Kurama said as he glared at Hiei. Kurama remembered Hiei had tried to kill Gray Fox after his fight. If Kurama hadn't stepped in, Gray Fox wouldn't be on the photograph now.

Hiei stared back at the Fox Demon. _He's grown too soft. _Hiei thought. _ He had an opportunity to kill his oppenent, after even being ordered by him to end his life. Kurama, you can be such a weakling sometimes._

Koenma pointed at Hiei. "Didn't you hear me? I said _alive!_ If we kill him, I will have lost an unjudged spirit! Do you know what that would do to me?"

"That, and he isn't even an enemy to begin with. I am not going to have innocent blood on my hands." Kurama said as he continued to stare down Hiei.

"What's the matter with you, Kurama?" Kuwabara asked. "Chill out for a minute, now. Why do you even care so much about this guy?"

Kurama sighed as he looked toward the Spirit Sword wielder. "He told me what he went through in his past life after we had fought each other. I can tell he's not an enemy."

"Are you sure he's not fooling you? It looks like you barely know him." Yusuke said.

"I barely knew you when we first met, Yusuke." Said the Fox Demon. "I knew you weren't an enemy of mine, then. I can tell that Gray Fox is on our side."

Yusuke scoffed. "Tch, you sure are a softy when it comes to people, Kurama. I hope it doesn't come back to bite you in the ass."

Koenma interjected. "It's something you'll have to deal with, Yusuke. We're low on time as it is. Kurama, since you're familiar with Jaeger, you'll handle in bringing him in. He knows you well enough as it is, so that might make it a little easier. Yusuke and Kuwabara will be your backup if things get hectic."

"So we're the brawn and Kurama's the brain." Kuwabara said. "How about that."

"Sounds easy enough." Yusuke said.

"Excellent" Koenma said, giving a thumbs up. "You have your orders. Be safe gentlemen."

Yusuke and Kurama nodded. Kuwabara, however, was looking around the room. "Is something wrong, Kuwabara?" Koenma asked.

"Did anyone see Hiei leave?" Kuwabara asked.

Koenma scanned the room. He noticed there was one person less from the four usual members of Team Urameshi. _He's gone… _Koenma thought. Hiei had disappeared without a trace.

The room was silent for a minute. Koenma felt a bead of sweat drip down his forehead. "Oh no…" he mumbled to himself.

Kurama, however, felt as if a giant exclamation point flashed in his mind. "I don't believe him!" He shouted as he bolted for the exit.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Yusuke said. "What's with the rush?"

"We need to get moving right now!" Kurama shouted in urgency. "If we don't get to Gray Fox before Hiei does, Hiei's going to kill him! We have to stop him! Hurry!" He shouted.

"Great. That guy doesn't think things through does he?" Kuwabara said to himself as the rest of Team Urameshi ran out of the office and out of the castle.

Koenma plopped back down on his seat. "Botan, get me an aspirin." He said, putting a hand on his forehead. "I think it's gonna be one of those days."


	4. Unfinished Business

Ch. 4: Unfinished Business

* * *

><p>How many demons were slain now? Five? Six? Eight? It doesn't matter, because it's now about to be one more added, because another monstrosity of a demon had just challenged a humanoid looking creature with exoskeleton armor, with an ominous red eye in the middle of the figure's helmet. The cybernetic humanoid brandished his high frequency katana as he stared down his challenger.<p>

"Why are you disturbing me?" the cyborg said in his raspy robotic voice.

The hulking horned demon pounded the ground. "You have become a thorn in my side for the last time, human! You will pay dearly for slaying my brothers!"

"They attacked me, and they paid the price for making a foolish mistake." the cyborg responded. "You're brothers, as you put them, had the mental equivalent of an insect, who wouldn't listen to my advice."

"HA! Your puny words mean nothing to me, human! You don't even have a lot of Spirit Energy! I should just kill you right now, and take your head as my prize!"

The cyborg pointed his sword towards the demon. "I will give you one last chance, demon. Walk away, and your life will be spared. Continue to be an annoyance to me, and you will suffer the same fate as those foolish demons. I would choose wisely."

The demon laughed his gut off. "HA HA HA! The time for diplomacy is over! I am going to hang you by your very entrails and rip you apart LIMB… FROM… LIMB!" He shouted as he pounded his chest.

The humanoid's red eye flashed. "So be it." With that, the demon charged head on towards the cyborg, but before he could make his first attack, he stopped.

Before he knew it, there was a blur.

Without realizing what had just happened, the demon noticed his vision splitting in two different places. He also noticed that he couldn't move, and that his sight had become blurry. Unfortunately, it was the last thing he could comprehend, as he was completely sliced right down the middle by the cyborg, in the blink of an eye. Blood started to spurt from his bisected body, as both of his lateral ends fell to the ground, and a crimson puddle formed around the hulking demon's halved body.

"Just as expected from a typical animal." The humanoid said to the corpse as he sheathed his sword. "Using all of your muscles except the one that matters, unlike a true warrior. Know your place, demon."

"And you should know yours as well." Another voice said behind him.

The humanoid turned, and noticed a familiar figure. He had dark, jet black hair with a white streak, a black coat and black pants, with a white bandana around his forehead. The figure instantly recognized him. He was with Kurama the day they went toe to toe. The same one that almost tried to kill him after the fight.

"You…" The cyborg said. "I know you, demon."

"Yes you do. I am Hiei, and I know you as well… Frank Jaeger." The demon paused. "…Or should I call you Gray Fox?"

The humanoid known as Gray Fox opened his face plate, revealing his face to the familiar demon. "So, you remember me, as well as my name." Gray Fox said.

Hiei nodded. "Yes. And you surprisingly handled yourself well against my compatriot, Kurama. Even Yoko spared your life. That never happens. Ever."

"Indeed. Though I still wish he would have killed me. This existence is not what I had wanted." Gray Fox said looking down.

Hiei scoffed. "I agree. He should have killed you."

The next thing Fox heard was a sword being unsheathed. Hiei had just drawn his weapon. "But unlike Kurama," Hiei continued. "I never spare my prey. Now that I'm here, I might as well finish the job."

Gray Fox squinted his eyes. "Do you really wish to challenge me, Hiei?"

Hiei chuckled. "If you mean that I'm here to kill you, then yes. I really hate having the nagging feeling that someone more powerful than I am still exists in this plane of existence. Besides, let's just say we have unfinished business with each other."

"You speak just like the demons I've killed." Gray Fox said. "Let me be. I do not wish to fight you for such petty reasons like power." Gray Fox now felt genuine anger building now. _Am I really doomed to fight for eternity? I despise this afterlife… _he thought to himself.

Hiei brandished his sword straight at Fox. "I am not going anywhere, ninja. Not until you are nothing but mere dust."

Gray Fox's red eye was flashing as he continued to stare down Hiei. "I'm warning you, Hiei. Do not push me. I'm not going to fight you because of your own sense of jealousy. Leave now, because I will not tell you again."

Hiei continued to taunt the cyborg ninja. "To think, you'd fight someone like Kurama, but not me." He walked up to Gray Fox until he was face to face with him. "Is a little fox really scared to face someone as powerful as me?" He tauntingly asked, smirking as he as he was face to face with the former FOXHOUND operative.

"As I've said to Kurama's inner demon, I fear nothing. You are not worth my time, and my patience is wearing thin with you." Said Gray Fox. "Now leave me alone, Hi-"

"You're not a warrior as you claim to be. You're nothing but a scared little child. You are a coward!" Before Gray Fox could say anything, Hiei spat right in his face. A brief silence echoed between the two. But that silence was broken as the gauntlet was thrown.

"Now fight me, you pathetic rat!" Hiei shouted.

Gray Fox closed his eyes and slowly wiped Hiei's spit off of his face. His eyes then snapped open and glared daggers at the demon before him. "Fine." Within an instant, Fox's faceplate snapped shut, and his red optic lit up. "Have it your way, demon."

In a flash, Gray Fox vanished.

Hiei was taken aback by Fox leaving. Did he already retreat? He scanned his surroundings. The cyborg ninja was nowhere to be found. But he could still sense spirit energy. It was just like before. Hiei knows he's around here, but there's no way to sense exactly where he is. _Damn. I can't locate him. Where is he?_ he thought.

Hiei chuckled to himself. "Is this what you give me? You run and hide? Only cowards and feeble weaklings fall on that strategy. Stop being a scared puppy and fight me already."

A small unsettling feeling was sinking inside Hiei's stomach. There wasn't a response from Gray Fox at all. _Nothing. What's his game?_ Hiei was constantly moving, circling his surroundings to make sure Fox doesn't get the jump on him. Fox's spirit energy is still in this area, but where ever he is, he's good at keeping himself quiet.

"You're thinking too highly of yourself if you think you're going to scare me with this tactic." Hiei said, hoping he's not talking to thin air. "I know stealth as well, and if you want, I can play the waiting game. Just come out and I promise I'll make your death quick."

Still, no response.

_ Who does he think he is? Does he really think he can beat me like this?_ Hiei started to become more agitated now. Here he was, actually hoping to kill a powerful human, but already he's hiding like a coward. _Okay, I've had it!_ "I'm starting to become annoyed with this little game you're playing here, Gray Fox. Enough of this foolishness! I said, fight me!"

And just for a change of pace… nothing.

In frustration, Hiei threw down his sword. "I have had enough of this! I should've killed you back then when I had the chance! If this is how you're going to fight me, then so be it! I'll find you, and I'll snap your neck in two! DO YOU HEAR ME!"

However, in the midst of Hiei's yelling, Hiei felt a sharp pain in his back. He could feel something dripping down his back as well. Was he bleeding? Hiei screamed in pain as he fell to his knees. As he was agonizing in pain, he was grabbed and held by the neck, with a sword being held across his face. It had blood dripping on the blade. In his ear, he heard a familiar raspy voice.

"Loud and clear"

Hiei couldn't help but laugh as Gray Fox continued to grasp him in a sleeper hold. "Hehehe… You're very different from other humans, I can already tell." Hiei said, struggling against the ninja's grip.

"Let me tell you something, demon." Gray Fox said. "I'm not stupid. I've had just as much experience in combat as you do. If you thought that my fight with Kurama was all that I was capable of, then you are sadly mistaken."

"Is that so?" said Hiei, as he looked over at the cyborg. "Then show me what you can do, human. Surprise me."

Gray Fox chuckled. "Since you asked…" Gray Fox then let his grip loose, and spun around Hiei, and unleashed rapid kicks to his midsection, an elbow strike to his face, and grabbed his head and drove it straight to the ground, slamming him head first. Before Hiei could evade, and still dazed from the impact, Gray Fox drove his knee into Hiei's spine, eliciting a scream of pain from the demon. Just as Fox began to drive his knee into his back again, Hiei vanished within an instant.

_What? Where did he go? _Fox thought to himself. He glanced over to his side. _His sword's gone…_ Suddenly, Hiei appeared behind Gray Fox, and was ready to strike him with his sword. But Gray Fox immediately sensed Hiei, thus bringing his sword in front and blocked the impending strike. Hiei then brought another strike down, but Fox jumped back, maintaining a distance from his opponent. Hiei and Gray Fox now stood toe to toe with their weapons drawn, staring each other down.

Smiling, Hiei made the first move, trying to confuse the ninja with afterimages of him appearing in different areas. Hiei then appeared at Fox's side and tried to swipe at him, but Fox blocked it again. Hiei started swiping at him again and again, making a full frontal attack, hoping to land a consecutive hit. So far, Gray Fox kept blocking all of the strikes. Before Hiei could make another strike, Fox quickly kicked Hiei in the leg, briefly tripping him, and tried to vertically slice him. Hiei blocked the strike, and pushed his weight forward, knocking the sword out of Fox's hands and sending Fox off of his balance.

Hiei then vanished and appeared behind Fox again, hoping to land another strike. To his surprise, the cyborg ninja vanished as well. This time, appearing behind Hiei. Hiei vanished again, and appeared at Fox's left side, and swung his sword at his leg. Fox then jumped, twisted his body in mid-air, and corkscrew kicked Hiei in the head. The force was enough to drive Hiei straight to the dirt. Gray Fox landed on his feet in a crouched position, and looking towards his fallen prey, ran toward him. Gray Fox jumped and as he tried to land on Hiei, Hiei brought his foot up, connecting it with Gray Fox's head. With the cyborg dazed from the impact, Hiei grabbed his sword and tried to strike Gray Fox again. Fox, however, blocked the strike by grabbing the blade. He twisted his grip, trying to wrangle the sword out of Hiei's hands, but Hiei knife-hand chopped Fox in the neck, which led to Fox letting go of the sword, and Hiei vanished again.

Fox tried to anticipate Hiei's move by looking behind him, trying to block an impending strike, but all he saw was an afterimage. With Fox's back turned, Hiei delivered a swift kick to Fox's head, stunning him. Hiei then kicked Fox's legs, bringing him down, and grabbed the cyborg by the neck. Hiei then threw him to the ground on his back, and planted his foot on the ninja's chest, pinning him.

With his sword aimed straight for his neck, Hiei stared at Gray Fox, with an sinister look in his eye. He started to laugh. "You're pretty good." Hiei said, panting. "You definitely surprised me, human. I never knew you to be that quick."

"Hhngh… there's a lot you don't know about me, demon." Gray Fox said, writhing from the aching pain.

"And there's a lot you don't know about me, either." Hiei retorted. "You're getting off light with this. I could've ended your life with the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, and then you would've seen true power."

"So I'm insignificant, huh?" Gray Fox said. "Well, big man, do your worst. Put this 'coward' out of his misery, if you have the guts."

Hiei smirked. "With pleasure." As he raised his sword to impale Fox through the heart, he paused.

…Something wasn't right. A chill ran down Hiei's spine. _What is this?_ Hiei thought. _An energy spike?_

Before Hiei could rationalize, however, Gray Fox started convulsing. With a painful scream, he burst into a seizure, with electric sparks emitting from his exoskeleton. Hiei immediately jumped away from the convulsing cyborg, as he continued to shake violently. As he continued to convulse, he managed to get onto his knees, and to try and dull the pain, he started hitting his head on the ground. He pounded his head continuously into the dirt with all of his strength. Once. Twice. Thrice. Four times, and many more all while screaming in immense pain and torture.

It was Shadow Moses all over again…

Hiei was perplexed by this display. Was there really something wrong with the cyborg? Was this all a trick to lure Hiei into a trap? The demon wasn't sure how to make of this.

In a cry of anguish, the cyborg shouted at the top of his lungs. "NOT AGAIN! THE MEDICINE!" Gray Fox continued to ram his head into the ground. "THE PAIN!" Wham! " THE PAIN!" Wham! "NOT AGAIN! HELP ME!" Wham! PLEASE! HEEELLLP MEEEE!"

As he pounded his head one more time, Gray Fox stopped convulsing. After a few seconds, heavily panting, the cyborg slowly stood up and walked over to his sword, picking it up. Hiei looked on, not knowing what to make of this. He still stood ready with his weapon, just in case.

Then Gray Fox suddenly snapped his head towards Hiei, with his red optic emanating ominously, and brandished his blade. Sounding just like a demon himself, he uttered only two words.

"DIE… DEMON…"

Gray Fox instantly disappeared after those words were said. Before Hiei could figure out where he was, Fox started slashing at Hiei quickly from different places. Hiei felt as if he was getting stung by a swarm of hornets, as the sword swipes were quicker than he anticipated. As Hiei screamed in agony, Fox appeared in front of Hiei, and impaled Hiei through the midsection, but didn't pierce his vital organs. Fox didn't want the demon to die just yet. Hiei, with his eyes widened from being stabbed, coughed up blood. A crimson splatter stained the grass and Hiei's clothes, and even got some on Fox's armor. Fox then withdrew the steel from Hiei's flesh and delivered a strong kick to his wound, sending him flying back a few feet.

Hiei landed and skidded on his back, clutching his wound. Gripping his sword tightly, he ran straight toward Gray Fox, jumped up and brought his sword down on him, but Fox back flipped out of the way as Hiei missed his strike, and Hiei was surprised at what happened to Fox's left arm. The armor around it began to move and shift, and his arm began to change. It was as if Fox was a robot. Fox switched his arm into his transformable pulse laser. The end of the barrel began to shine with energy, as it started to charge.

Gray Fox then let loose a bevy of shots towards Hiei. The demon, however, evaded the shots, trying to run around the cyborg in order to find an opening. Hiei instantly teleported and appeared behind Fox. However, Fox somehow knew when Hiei appeared and backhanded the demon before he could make a swift strike. Gray Fox then planted his laser on Hiei's stab wound and shot three rounds into it. The shots weren't fatal, but still burned the freshly skewered flesh of the demon. As Hiei fell to his knees, writhing in agony, Gray Fox transformed his laser back to his arm, and began punching Hiei, landing hook after hook on his face. After numerous consecutive hits, a kick straight to the skull sent the demon flying and skidding into the dirt. As Hiei came to a halt, Fox jumped and landed right on Hiei's chest, sword drawn, with the edge hovering over the demon's neck.

Silence plagued the two warriors, as a wind gust blew through the battlefield. Gray Fox leaned forward as he inspected his prey. Hiei only grimaced in pain as blood continued to flow freely from his body. Hiei could feel the sharp edge of the blade just barely touching his neck. With enough precision, Gray Fox could instantly slash his jugular vein and be over with it. But Hiei knew he was savoring this. Deep down, this human was just as demonic as he was, if not more so.

Gray Fox, still feeling the effects of the seizure, spoke in a droned, rage-induced, vengeful voice that could chill the bones of lesser men.

"ANY… LAST WORDS… DEMON…?" The cyborg asked.

Hiei struggled to look at the cyborg right in the eye, as the pain was starting to take its toll on him. Anger took hold, and spoke how he would when facing death directly.

"Nnngh… Go… to HELL!" Hiei shouted.

Gray Fox spun his sword, and raised it up, aiming straight for his heart much like Hiei did.

"COME WITH ME…"

Suddenly, a voice was heard behind the two.

"Gray Fox! Stop!"

With his sword still raised, Gray Fox slowly turned around, and noticed three new additions to the battlefield. One of them was a familiar being, sporting red hair and that peculiar uniform. The two people on his left and right flank looked young. One of them had jet black hair that was sleeked back, and the other had red hair styled in a pompadour. Much like the center being, it looked like they wore uniforms as well. Though he didn't know the other two, he instantly recognized the one in the middle.

"…Kurama?"

"Yes, Fox. It's me. I wish this reunion would've been under better circumstances, but you cannot do this."

The cyborg turned back to his pinned prey. "This demon threatened my life. He called me a coward. He must die! He must be punished!"

Kurama reached his arm out. "Fox, please! Listen to me for a moment!" Kurama pleaded. "I know Hiei's not the smartest when thinking his actions through, but he's an ally. I can't let you kill him. Please, Fox. Let him go."

Gray Fox turned back to face his former opponent. "…And…. Why should I?" He said, aching to spill the demon's blood. "What makes him so special?"

The red haired young man spoke. "Listen, man. Sometimes I've wanted to kick Hiei's ass too. Countless times even. But I hate to say, we need him."

"Kurama's right." said the black haired man, pointing his finger toward him in a "gun" gesture. "He's on our side. Now why don't you put your sword down before shit gets real?"

Gray Fox's optic flashed. "You… want nothing to do with me, young man. I will slice your veins before you utter for mercy."

"You trying to threaten me, pal?" The teen asked. "Keep talking like that and I'll kick your ass, you son of a bit-"

"That's enough!" Kurama shouted. "Please, Fox. I know Hiei struck a few nerves with you, but let him go, I implore you. It's not worth it."

Fox looked towards Kurama, and back towards Hiei. He wants to kill Hiei, but something inside is telling him not to. His hands shaking as he grasped his blade, he struggles to carry out the final blow. With a sigh, Fox hangs his head as he brings his hands and sword down, and his optic blinks off.

Lifting his foot off of Hiei, the cyborg turns toward Kurama. "Fine. He lives. But only because you say so." Gray Fox said. "Now what brings you here? How did you know where I was?"

"We were asked to bring you to the ruler of the Spirit World, Koenma." Kurama responded.

"Ruler? What does he want with me?" Fox asked.

"He wanted us to bring you in alive. He said you were a renegade spirit here, and said we needed to bring you in." Said Kurama.

"Renegade?" Fox asked.

"That's right. From what he said, you spirit somehow went under the radar, and a lot of other mysteries need to be solved with you."

Fox sighed. "So, I'm to be apprehended? Am I a prisoner?"

Kurama chuckled. "Oh, no. Of course not. You're not in any trouble, at all. In fact, he already knows what you're capable of."

The black haired teen whistled. "Wow, he looks like a video game character. You look pretty bad ass, buddy." He said, winking.

Gray Fox tilted his head. "And you are...?"

"Oh! Sorry, Fox. I didn't introduce these two to you." Kurama said. "That is Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi. The one next to him is Kazuma Kuwabara."

They both nodded in greetings toward the cyborg.

"…They're teenagers." Gray Fox said, still puzzled.

"Hey!" Kuwabara shouted. "We can still kick ass! I bet you I could whip you like-"

"Kuwabara, please. I think Fox has seen enough action for one day." Kurama said "Come, let's get you back and-"

Suddenly, Yusuke felt as if a giant exclamation point flashed in his mind. He saw that Hiei stood up and started running toward Fox in a screaming fit of rage, with his blade brandished.

"Woah, watch out, man!" Yusuke shouted.

In an instant, Fox whipped around, and disarmed Hiei and held him up by the neck, choking him. His red optic flashed. "I have had enough of your foolishness demon. Stand down, or I will break your neck."

Hiei laughed as he gasped for breath. "Nnngh… gahg… You won't. You're too soft, human."

"Are you willing to bet on that assumption, demon?"

"Damn it!" Kurama shouted. "Hiei! Fox! Both of you stop this at once!"

"Back off!" Fox shouted back. "Or else he will be shrieking by the count of five!"

Yusuke and Kuwabara looked at each other. Each figuring out frantically what to do. As they deliberated, Fox started counting.

"ONE…"

"What the hell do we do?" Yusuke asked.

"How the shit should I know, Urameshi!" Kuwabara asked. "I've never dealt with The Terminator before!"

"TWO…"

"Well, think of something, genius!" Said Yusuke.

"You're the detective!" Kuwabara said. "Why don't you come up with something, Sherlock?"

"THREE…"

"Will both of you stop arguing like children and come up with a plan?" Kurama said. "We can't bring Hiei back in a body bag!

"We're trying!" Both of them shouted in unison.

"FOUR…"

Kuwabara debated what to do. They were running low on time, and they needed to act fast.

"Okay." Kuwabara said. "I'm going in." He then whipped his arm, and summoned his weapon, the Spirit Sword. With the energy blade drawn, he runs for Fox just as he finishes his count.

"FIVE!"

Before enough pressure was applied to break Hiei's neck, Kuwabara swung his Spirit Sword across Fox's back, thus making him drop Hiei. With his arms trying to grasp his back in agony, Fox screamed his lungs out, and ended up falling to his knees. As he continued to scream, he looked up in confusion and saw Kuwabara and the energy sword. Fox marveled as he writhed in pain.

"…What?" Fox managed to speak. "How did you-huh?" Suddenly, Yusuke moved in front of Fox, and aimed his "gun" gesture at Fox's forehead at point blank range.

"Nothin' personal buddy." Yusuke said. "SPIRIT GUN!"

Before Fox knew what was going on, an energy bullet that shot from Yusuke's finger knocked the cyborg back with so much force that he tumbled and rolled across the grass, as if he were run over by a freight train. As he rolled, he came to a stop, landing on his back, with his faceplate opened from the impact.

Fearing for the human's well being, Kurama bolted straight for Fox's dazed body. "Fox!" He shouted as he crouched down, cradling the ninja's head. "Fox! Are you alright? Say something!"

Gray Fox slowly opened his eyes as he tried to stay conscious. He slowly raised his hand.

"Ku-…Kura…ma…"

However, it was all he was able to say, as his hand went limp and he passed out, slipping into unconsciousness.


	5. Filling in the Blanks

Ch. 5: Filling In the Blanks

* * *

><p>Pain. So much pain. It was as if everything happened so fast. One minute, he was fighting a demon, the next he is on his back, feeling the effects of a massive headache. He could feel droplets of water dripping on his face as his faceplate was still opened from earlier. His vision blurry, he starts to stir from his slumber. Clutching his head, he begins to rise. As he feels the cold steel from his helmet, he feels something that wasn't there before. Just as the questions begin to arise, he feels a sharp pain in his head.<p>

A voice speaks from the side of the room he's in. "Try not to move too much, Fox. Yusuke did quite a number on your head."

Gray Fox turns to his left and finds Kurama, propped against one of the walls with his arms folded. "Kurama?" Gray Fox said.

"Who else, my friend?" Kurama responded. "It's good to see you are alright."

"What… happened to me?" Fox asked. "I felt like I got ran over by a tank."

"Technically, you did." Kurama said, chuckling. "Yusuke's Spirit Gun has quite the power, doesn't it?"

"Spirit Gun?" The ninja asked. "That's what knocked me out?"

Kurama nodded. "Be lucky you were unconscious instead of in a body bag. Both you and Hiei had quite the knife-edged deathmatch."

Fox's eyes widened. "Hiei? He's here!" Gray Fox immediately shot up from his bed and went to the bars. "Where is he! I'll kill him! I'll make him suffer for what he-"

"Fox, please. Calm yourself." Kurama said, trying to stop Fox. "You're too hurt anyway. Besides, you and Hiei killing each other would be a big mistake."

"Why, Kurama? He threatened me, and if I don't kill him, he'll kill me!"

"There's no need to worry about that. Koenma taking care of him right now."

Fox tilted his head. "And? Will he be punished?"

"I don't know, really. Koenma tends to make up his own rulings with these things."

Gray Fox looked from side to side, taking in the environment he was in. It was dank, dark and layered with stones. It was only barely lit by a few torches. Fox looked at Kurama. "Where exactly are we?" he asked.

"We're in the cells." Kurama answered. "We had to keep you locked up so that you and Hiei don't tear each others throats out."

Gray Fox continued to feel around his helmet. He noticed something was stuck onto the front of his helmet, above his red optic. It felt smooth, but unlike the steel that grafted him. It felt like a sticker. He tried to grip the edge to take it off, but to no avail.

"That's not going to help, Fox." Kurama said.

"What is it, then?" Fox said. "I thought you said I was not to be held prisoner. You marked me?"

"You're not a prisoner, Fox." Kurama said. "Our friend marked you with a Mejiru Seal."

"Meijiru Seal?" Fox asked. "Your friend must be mistaken. I don't have a demon to be repressed."

"Oh no, it's nothing like that, my friend." Kurama said, putting a shoulder on Fox. "She put it on you so that your life signs could be monitored. Just in case Hiei tries to kill you again."

"And why are you here with me in this cell?" Gray Fox asked. "Are you supposed to be my bodyguard?"

Kurama grinned. "You could say that. I actually requested to watch over you while you were still unconscious."

"How thoughtful of you." Gray Fox said, smiling. A moment of silence passed between the two. "…So? What do we do now?"

Kurama shrugged. "I don't know, really. If I know Koenma, he's probably ripping into Hiei right now."

"Well, since we're just sitting here," Gray Fox said. "why don't you tell me about his world?"

* * *

><p>Koenma's Office<p>

* * *

><p>A chilling silence filled the area. The tension was so hot you could cut it with a butter knife. Two people stared each other down from across the room. Well, it would be if one of them wasn't looking at a wall to divert his attention. Unfortunately, that is something you do not want to do to the Ruler of the Spirit World.<p>

Koenma pound his fist on his desk. "I'm not gonna ask you again, Hiei! What in the world were you thinking!"

The now bandaged Hiei doesn't respond. Because he acted on his own agenda, he felt that Koenma didn't need to know all of the details.

Koenma became more furious the more Hiei's silence persisted. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, damn it! Answer me!" Koenma shouted.

"Why should I? A toddler like you wouldn't even understand." Koenma growled continued to taunt him. "Besides, why do you care? You got him back alive, just like you wanted."

"You heard me crystal clear earlier, Hiei!" Koenma shouted, now on his last nerve. "You were supposed to bring Frank Jaeger alive! NOT SLAUGHTER HIM!"

Hiei could only scoff as Koenma continued to shout his lungs out. Koenma put a palm to his forehead. _It's like arguing with a two year old_. He thought. "Need I remind you that you're on my watchful eye, Hiei? If I get in trouble with the blunder you've committed, I swear I will bring you down with me!"

Hiei laughed at his meager threat. "Oh, please don't stop. This is really entertaining."

"I MEAN IT!" Koenma shouted, pointing at him.

"We're getting nowhere with this." Hiei said. "Why exactly did you call me in here? Surely you wanted to talk about something interesting than wanting your bottle."

"You know very well why you're in here, Hiei." Koenma said. "Why did you try to kill Jaeger?"

"The last time I checked, he wanted to die when I first saw him. I don't see what was wrong with granting his wish." Hiei responded.

"But I told you, Hiei! He's an unjudged spirit! If you killed him, it would be the end of you! It would be the end of me! But most of all, it would be the end of me!"

"Not my concern. That's your problem."

"Of course it's not your problem, Hiei. Why do you care? Oh that's right! You just love to make my life a living hell, don't you?"

Hiei started laughing more. "Good to know I'm doing my job well."

Koenma squinted his eyes. "This is gone on long enough." He said. "Just get out. If you won't talk, then I don't see any point in this."

Hiei smirked. "Best idea you've come up with all day today." Hiei began to walk out. As he opened the door, he looked back to Koenma. "By the way, you want to know why I really wanted to kill that bastard?"

"Please, do tell." Koenma said.

Hiei smirked. "Because I felt like it. Are you happy now?" And with that, Hiei walked out of his office. A second later, Botan then entered the office.

"No luck with Hiei, huh?" The Reaper asked.

"As lucky as you would think." Koenma said. "_Because I felt like it." What is he a child?_ He thought to himself, disregarding the irony.

"So what should we do with Frank?" Botan asked.

"Well, we got him." He said. "He's no longer renegade, as far as I'm concerned. I think we should at least try to fill in the blanks on his file. I'd like to see it completed."

"Shall I retrieve him, sir?" Botan asked.

"If you don't mind. How's his tracking sticker."

Botan inspected the sticker that was on her arm. It was the same one she stuck onto Gray Fox's helmet. The sticker showed a blue color. "Life signs are normal. Let's hope Hiei doesn't make his way into the cells."

"I think he's had enough time in his cell, then. Bring him to me." Koenma said.

Botan nodded and headed out the door. Before she walked out, she pulled a bottle from her sleeve. "By the way, sir. You might need these." She tossed the bottle on Koenma's desk.

He picked it up and noticed it was his aspirin. His eyes lit up. "Botan, you are a saint!" He said, as he walked to grab a glass of water. Botan grinned as she walked out the door.

* * *

><p>The Cells<p>

* * *

><p>"So that's why you apprehended me? My spirit still needed to be judged?" Gray Fox asked.<p>

"Yes. In fact, all spirits need to be judged. They can't wander around freely in Spirit World."

"And those demons I've killed? Were they wanderers?"

"Not necessarily. Those demons were probably weaker demons that somehow got through the Kakai Barrier, which keeps out even stronger demons."

"That explains why they were so easy to kill…" Gray Fox said.

"Indeed." Kurama said. "All hell would break loose if a stronger demon came through. That barrier is the only thing that keeps us and them separated."

"Has anyone tried to escape the barrier?" Fox asked.

"Not yet." Kurama responded. "We hope it stays that way."

"And if they do," A voice said across the hall. "I'll be there to kick the son of a bitch's ass!"

Kurama and Fox saw that Yusuke and Kuwabara were walking down the hallway towards the cell. "Gray Fox, right?" Yusuke said.

"Yusuke and Kazuma, I presume?" Gray Fox asked.

"That's us!" Kuwabara said. "But call me Kuwabara, if you want. How've you been?"

"I've seen better days." Gray Fox said.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Yusuke said. "It was either knock you out or try to kill you. And frankly it would have gone smoother if Sunshine here didn't act like a dumbass!" he said, pointing to Kuwabara.

"You told me to think of something, and I did! What more did you want?"

"Something that didn't involve almost killing him." Yusuke said.

Gray Fox felt that something didn't sit right with these two. Outwardly, they seemed like ordinary kids, but something seemed strong about them.

"I sense great power within you two." Fox said. "How is that possible?"

"What, our energy?" Yusuke asked. "It's simple. We train."

"…Training?" Fox said. "That's it? You're energy doesn't feel like that of a mere man. Is that how you…?"

"Knocked you straight into last week? Yeah, you could say that." Yusuke said, laughing.

"Amazing." Gray Fox could only say.

"Well, I can see you guys are getting along just fine." A female voice said. Everyone turned to notice Botan walking down the hallway, with a key in her hand.

Gray Fox was taken by the young lady's appearance. She looked so young. "And who might you be, Miss?"

"You must be Frank Jaeger." She said, grinning. "Botan's my name. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Would you believe that this chick is actually the Grim Reaper?" Yusuke asked.

Gray Fox raised an eyebrow. "I refuse to believe that. Someone as beautiful as you does not represent the personification of death."

Botan giggled. "You flatter me, Frank. A friend of yours actually said the same thing to me."

Something clicked in Fox's head. "Friend?" He asked. "You've talked to Snake?"

Botan sweat dropped. _Damn, I shouldn't have said that. _she thought._ Why can't I keep my mouth shut? _She smiled. "Why, yes I did!"

"How is he?" The ninja asked.

"From the looks of things, he's doing alright."

"Good." Gray Fox said. Even though he and Snake were soldiers and merely fought each other when he was alive, Fox was glad that his friend got to settle down. He smiled at the thought of Snake finally getting to relax. "But what brings you here?" He asked.

Botan turned the key in the lock, unlocking the barred door. "Koenma requests your presence. If you come with me, I'll bring you to him."

Gray Fox stood and walked out of the cell. Botan brought her hand to Fox's helmet, and peeled off the sticker. "There we go. I don't think you'll be needing that, now." She said, smiling. He looked back towards his new compatriots.

"It was great meeting all of you. I shall return shortly." He turned to Botan. "Shall we?"

Botan nodded as they made their way out of the cell. They navigated the countless hallways until they made their way into the main office area. Gray Fox noted the ogres that were working frantically putting together papers and shouting at each other. Fox only raised an eyebrow as he walked alongside Botan. They made their way to a huge double door wall.

"This is it." Botan said. "But let me give a small piece of advice to you." Gray Fox looked at her in the eye. "Be honest." She said, holding a finger up. "He knows more than you can imagine."

Gray Fox nodded. "I'm ready to face my judgement."

"Great!" Botan said, patting him on the back. "In you go! Be polite, now!"

The doors opened, and Gray Fox walked in. He saw that not a lot of things populated the room. All he saw was a big desk with a ton of papers stacked on it. He looked around. This Ruler was no where in sight. "…Hello?" Fox called out. "Is there anyone in here?"

"You gotta look lower." A young voice called. Fox tilted to gauge where the voice was. "Lower…" As Fox looked downward to his feet, he noticed a young toddler wearing what seemed be Pjs and a hat that had a Japanese symbol with "Jr." underneath it. "There you go. Hi there! You must be Frank Jaeger, am I correct?"

Fox stared at the toddler in silence. "Where's the Spirit World Ruler known as Koenma? I was told he was here."

The toddler pointed to himself. "You're looking at him! I'm the mighty Koenma, or King Enma Jr. technically."

"And where am I?" Fox asked.

"You're inside my castle. How do you like it?"

Gray Fox looked around in confusion. "All of this… is yours?" Koenma nodded. "And you… are the Ruler of the Spirit World?" He nodded again. Fox put palm to his face. "Now I've seen everything…"

"Why?" Koenma said, raising an eyebrow. "That's not a _problem_, is it?"

"No." Fox said, straightening up. "Just… unexpected. I don't mean that with any disrespect."

Koenma smiled. "I understand. I can see you're not really used to this environment. We'll take it slowly. Please, take a seat." He said, pointing to a chair across his desk. Fox walked over to and sat, as Koenma climbed onto his desk.

"Are you to carry out my judgement, your majesty?" Gray Fox asked.

"Please, Frank. You don't need to call me that. Koenma will work just fine." He said, putting a hand up. "As for your judgement, it's not going to happen. Not yet, at least."

Fox looked at him in confusion. "But Botan said you-"

"I realize you that you still require your spirit to be judged and placed, but that's going to have to wait for now. At this moment, we have bigger issues with you."

"And what would those be?" Fox asked.

"It mainly concerns your files." He said, holding up folder. "I've had a look inside while you were still a renegade, and noticed a strange oddity within. Here, take a look." Koenma the folder over to Fox.

Fox looked at it. "So… These are the Gray Fox files." He said.

"You guessed it!" Koenma said. "You can open it, it won't bite"

He opened the folder and looked at the contents. Everything about his life was in here. His time as a child soldier, his tenure in the FOX unit and even his time as Null. No stone was left unturned.

"You really are thorough with details, aren't you?" Fox said, marveling at the attention to detail of his very life. "You have everything in here. It is absolutely strange reliving my life through this. Do you do this with everyone you judge?"

"Under normal circumstances, we don't really allow other people to read their own files." Koenma said. "But keep flipping through. You'll find something rather strange with this."

As he made his way into the Outer Heaven and Zanzibar Land details, he noticed there was nothing after that. His apprehension by Dr. Clark, as well as his time on Shadow Moses, was nowhere to be found.

"Your information is not up to date." Gray Fox said. "You have a lot of information missing."

"And that is where the problem lies." Koenma said. "I need you to help me fill in the blanks. Tell me you everything you remember after Zanzibar Land, if you can."

Gray Fox closed the folder, and set it on his desk. "I remember some things, but I don't think I can recall every single detail. This may take quite a while."

"That's okay, Frank." Koenma said. "Take all the time you need…"


	6. Inside the Fire

Ch. 6: Inside The Fire

* * *

><p>A chill. That's what you feel when you're faced with every fear you could imagine. Everything you fear could be materialized and brought before you within an instant. It brings you to a breaking point where all you can do is scream. Scream into the distance hoping someone will hear you. But unfortunately, no one responds. No one comes. No one is here to save you. For you are in eternal damnation. Every moment you live is torture and pain. Pain follows you everywhere in this place. If you're lucky, you'll escape your fears in one piece, only to meet them again another day. In this place, it becomes routine. You're feelings of humanity dissipate with time in this place. The only feeling you are left with is a chill. Nothing more.<p>

It is said that no one man or woman could survive the depths of Hell. However, three people had been judged and placed in this realm. And all they had was their tenacity, courage, and warrior's spirit. More importantly, they had each other. And in a place like this, that comes very rarely.

Three people were wondering aimless around the fire-ridden pits of the Underworld. One of them was in tuned with the supernatural when he still lived. He was big and full of muscle, with enough to bring even the strongest person to his knees. He didn't have a shirt, and was covered in tribal tattoos. One of which was very unique, as it was in the shape of a raven covering his whole forehead. This man had seen his fair share of supernatural imagery, but nothing quite like this.

The second person was a woman. She had long blonde hair with her bangs just off to the side of her face. She was dressed in a jacket and pants, both of which were green, and had elbow and knee pads over them, as well as combat boots. Her jacket was opened, revealing a good amount of cleavage, and her jacket had a patch on the sleeve belonging to the organization she was once with.

The final one in the trio was one of the most unique looking. He wore what appeared to be bondage gear, with belts covering him. He wore a sleevless shirt, pants, and long past elbow length gloves, all of which were black. What finished the ensemble was a gasmask, which gave him ominous audible breathing.

These three people were once with a group known as FOXHOUND, and they were the best soldiers that knew their craft very well, and the ones to call if expertise was needed on the battlefield. The group consisted of Vulcan Raven, the giant shaman with the strength of ten men. Sniper Wolf, the deadly sharpshooting beauty. And Psycho Mantis, the master practitioner of Telekinesis, Psychokinesis, and Telepathy.

Their placement in this realm was one of consequence. As they continued to roam the demon infested landscape, they recalled how exactly they came to this fear ridden place.

* * *

><p>Koenma's Office; 2 days earlier<p>

* * *

><p>"So, correct me if I'm wrong," Koenma said. "but you are Sniper Wolf, Vulcan Raven, Psycho Mantis, Decoy Octopus and Liquid Snake, correct?"<p>

The group before the spirit world ruler nodded silently.

"And you guys were with FOXHOUND, right?"

They nodded again. Koenma then fuddled around for the files of the people in front of him. He opened up the folders, and looked up at the group.

"Now," Koenma said. "aside from being dead, you know why you are here. How do you think I should judge you?"

The blonde haired mercenary, Liquid Snake, stepped forward. "Is this some kind of test?" Liquid asked. "If we choose the right answer, will we be sent to our respective place?"

Koenma squinted his eyes. "That depends. I know what you guys have done on Shadow Moses."

"And?" Liquid said. "What's the point of us being here? If you know so much about what happened, why should we even bother telling you how we should be judged?"

"I want to see any justification in what you've done." Koenma responds. "I'll let you know that I've dealt with very many powerful people before you, so I will have you know right now. You don't scare me."

All Liquid could do is scoff at the toddler's warning. Raven then stepped forward.

"If I may, sir. You will have to excuse Liquid." Raven said. "To be honest, I believe we were very justified in what we've done. We are warriors, and all we were bred to do was spill blood on the battlefield. We wanted to cure our compatriots, the Genome Soldiers, and the only way to do that was use Metal Gear to get what we wanted."

"You sure have a way with words, shaman." Liquid said, smiling at Raven.

Koenma only nodded. "How about you guys?" Koenma said, turning to face Mantis, Wolf, and Octopus. "You three have been awfully quiet. Do you have anything to add?"

Mantis was the first to speak. "What would you have me say?" He asked, his voice giving that intimidating vibe as he spoke through his gas mask. "I lived a poor existence, and FOXHOUND was all I had." He slowly raised his hands. "Being apart of this was the only way I could feel truly alive."

Koenma raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?" he said. "Then tell me, did it make you feel alive raping the minds of the innocent? How did it feel, Mantis?" Koenma said as genuine anger began to rise. "Did you get turned on as people experienced true fear, as they became your playthings?"

Mantis had a slight chuckle in his voice. "You could say that." He said. "I'm the best in the world at what I do. Would you like to see why?"

Koenma squinted again. "Don't bother. Your powers will be of no use in this place." _Looks like I have a judgement on you._ Koenma thought to himself. "Octopus. How about you? What do you have to say?"

Octopus looked straight in Koenma's eyes. "I stand by what I have done, and there is no changing it." Octopus said. "I have nothing to say."

"Very well." Koenma said. With one person left, he turned his attention to Wolf. "And you, Sniper Wolf? Surely you have justification for yourself?" He asked.

Wolf looked at Koenma with a scowl. "I do." She said simply. "I've lived a life where everyone was my prey. All I had was my sniper rifle. It was the only thing that I have lived for. But a man set me free. However, I had no idea I would justify what I have done one last time."

"Well, you've got one last chance to think about your life. Be wise about this." Koenma said. "Because how you answer this question will determine how this day ends, and where your fate is decided. What made you commit the very acts you've done while you were alive?"

Wolf looked to the side. "I wish I had a clear answer for that." She said. "If I could change what I've done and who I was, I really would. But the bottom line is that I only followed a trail of blood. And it led me to this." Wolf continued as she looked to her judge. "Do what you must to decide my fate. I don't feel sorry for what I've done, and I don't take back what I've done either, because I would have no respect for myself if I did."

"Very well." Koenma said. He turned to the leader of the group. "Liquid. You led this group to follow your orders. Surely you have a reason for all of this?"

Liquid only smiled. "My reason? It's simple. I wanted to surpass my father. I wanted to create a world only warriors would live in. A place where we would be revered, just as the great warriors of the past were. I wanted a perfect world, where only WE REIGNED SUPREME!" Liquid said, raising his fist. "But that changed, thanks to Solid Snake. And now look at us! We're being judged a stupid baby! If I could, I would tear your head off like a paper towel!" Liquid pounded Koenma's desk, as he got in the mighty ruler's face. "I will NOT have my judgment take place by your ridiculous ruling! You're nothing but a child!"

"You're wrong Liquid." Koenma said, as he stared down the FOXHOUND leader. "I am your judge. If you are not careful, I can be your executioner as well. Now back off."

"What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" Liquid asked tauntingly. "It's insulting! The fact I'm at the mercy of a child makes me absolutely sick! You are going to sit down and drink your bottle, because do you know what you are going to do with us? Absolutely nothing!"

As Liquid continued, Koenma's fist started to ball up, as anger began to show through. "You know why, child? Because you are nothing more than a worm. You are nothing more than a coward, and I'll be damned if I will be made into your servant for eternity! Do you understand what I'm saying to you right now!"

"Don't… push me." Koenma said, calmly.

"Oh, really? Or what? You'll "punish" me? Oh wait…" Liquid retorted, as he brought his hand up. "That's right! You'll do nothing!" Liquid then attempted to slap Koenma in the face with a backhand. However, much to Liquid's surprise, Koenma caught it, and held it in place with surprising strength. Liquid's eyes widened in shock.

"That is enough!" Koenma shouted, as he got into Liquid's face as well. "The last thing you want to do is incur my wrath! Now get out of my face, and SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Liquid only smirked as he walked to join his allies. Koenma sighed as he sat back down. "I think it's quite where your judgment lies." He said, as he took all of their files, and opened them, revealing their pictures and cover pages. Koenma then drew a stamp from a desk. _Don't think I've used this in a while. _He thought to himself As stamped their files one by one, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"YOU…" *stamp* "ARE…" *stamp* "GOING…" *stamp* "TO…" *stamp*"HELL!" And with that, he stamped Liquid's file, with an audible thud. "Your fates have been sealed, FOXHOUND." Koenma said, seething. "Now, get out of my sight."

Liquid looked at Koenma with a sinister look. "You think that scares me? I've survived Hell on Earth, and I'm not afraid to face it again. But mark my words. If I do ever get out, I will have your head."

Koenma threw down his stamp. "You'll need all the courage you can muster to survive Hell. Now get out, before I throw you out!"

The members of FOXHOUND looked at their leader in shock. "Boss…" Raven said. "What have you done?" Liquid didn't listen, as he continued to taunt Koenma.

"You? Throw me out?" Liquid laughed loudly. "Don't make me laugh, child!"

Koenma whistled and five ogres burst into the room. "Ogres! Throw these people out and bring them to the Gates of Hell." As the ogres dragged the squad, Liquid still locked his eyes on Koenma. "May the Gods have mercy on your soul, Liquid Snake." Koenma said. It was the last thing Liquid heard before the door slammed shut.

Sighing in relief, Koenma plops down on his desk. As he starts to settle down, he begins to wonder. Liquid deserved his judgment, but did the others deserve it too? Koenma banged his head on the desk. _Dooooh, I think I messed up big time._

* * *

><p>Hell; Present<p>

* * *

><p>Of any reason for their judgment, why did it have to be because of Liquid's arrogance? Because of him, Mantis, Wolf, and Raven have no chance of finding redemption for their actions. Had Liquid not popped off, their fates would probably have been judged better. But now, they have no second chance for a new judgment. The former FOXHOUND members hated this, but at least they had each other to make it through.<p>

However, while they wanted to strangle Liquid for what he's done, by the time he arrived in Hell, he would not be seen anywhere by anyone else. When FOXHOUND went through the Gates of Hell, there was no sign of the twin snake. And that wasn't all either. As soon as they had arrived, a Hellspawn Demon had immediately snatched Octopus and made off with him. The FOXHOUND members had no choice but to flee from the threat. With Liquid gone, and Octopus probably dead, FOXHOUND was now wandering the dark red landscape without so much as a clue. There was no where to go.

Raven looked in the distance as the group came to a stop to catch their breath. "I have never seen so much emptiness before." The shaman said. "I never thought my spirit would see this dimension of the doomed."

Mantis looked at his Inuit companion. "Quite a nice view, isn't it?" Mantis quipped. "I really wish I could dig through Liquid's mind and tear him inside out. I would make him pay for how we were judged!"

"Tch. Unless you know where that pompous blonde prick is, we can't really honor that request." Said Wolf, coldly. "Octopus is dead, and there's no way out of this place."

Mantis put a hand to his mask. "Do you really have to remind me of this?"

"My friends, please." Raven said. "I think we might be able to find a way out of this."

Wolf and Mantis looked at him with skepticism apparent in their eyes. "We don't have time for your false hope, shaman." Mantis spat.

"False hope can still be hope, Mantis." Raven said. "I feel we can still leave this place, but it may take some work."

"You seem a little too certain about this." Wolf said. "Are you really that confident?"

"Yes. But I've never thought I'd attempt an escape from damnation." Raven said.

"Unless we plan on sitting here any longer, I'm willing to carry out anything you've got in mind, Raven." Mantis said.

"Let's keep moving." Said Raven. And with that, they continued their trek across the plains of Hell.

* * *

><p>Hours had past. Normally, it was natural for inhabitants of Hell to be swept up by the nearest demon in an instant. However, as the FOXHOUND remnants treaded on their journey, nothing disturbed them. If Octopus was already killed by a demon, why isn't anyone else trying to kill them?<p>

Mantis felt uneasy. This felt too quiet. "I don't like this." He said.

"What's there not to like? We're still untouched, aren't we?" Wolf smirked.

"That's just it. This doesn't seem… normal. I feel like there's another presence near us."

Wolf scoffed. "You're being paranoid, Mantis. Maybe it's the thoughts of all the demons here that is messing with your head." She said.

"No. I think he's right." Raven said. "I can sense another presence as well, and it is nearby."

Wolf looked around her surroundings, cautiously. "Do you think someone is preying on us?"

"I can't say." Raven said. "I would bet that someone is trying to keep us safe."

"Why?" Mantis asked.

"I wish I knew."

Mantis channeled his telepathy to try and pinpoint the being who was near. So far, all he heard were faint voices. Voices of torture and pain, but nothing that signified who was tailing them. "I can't find anything." The telepath said. "Whoever this is must have a strong mind."

"It's not his mind you should be trying to find, but his spiritual essence." Raven said. "However, even I cannot locate whoever this is."

"This is starting to annoy me." Wolf said. "Where is he?"

Suddenly, she heard a voice.

"Right behind you…"

Within an instant, the group whipped behind them to find a man in a crimson cloak standing a few feet away from them. His cloak had his hood up to where you couldn't see his face. From a distance, it looked as if the cloak helped blend the man into the red rocky landscape. The cloak had black trim around the edges, giving him a majestic, yet mystified appearance.

Raven was the first to approach the man. "So you are the one who has been tailing us. Who are you?"

The man smiled underneath his hood. "Neither enemy nor friend." The cloaked figure said. "I'm but a lone wanderer of these unholy grounds."

Mantis felt something click in his head. "So that was you. You were watching us. Why couldn't I read your mind?"

"I have my ways." The man said. "And you are right. I have been keeping you safe. The reason is that I know why you are here."

The group looked perplexed. But the man continued. "You've been misjudged and placed here when you clearly did not deserve it. I know you wish to leave this place. And if you want to escape, I can help you."

Mantis didn't buy it. "I think you are nothing but talk! I'd love to get out of here, too, but I don't think you can get us out! Not even Raven can!"

"Actually…" The man said. "the shaman can help you, as well. All you need is my assistance."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "This sounds too good to be true. How do we know you are not deceiving us?"

"I've kept demons from feasting on your flesh didn't I? What else do you want?" said the cloaked man. "Unless you want to become like your friend, Decoy Octopus, I'd listen to what I say."

Wolf's ears perked. "Octopus? How do you know what happened to him?"

The man shook his head. "Oh, he met a terrible fate. The moment he was snatched, the demons eviscerated him and tore him limb from bloody limb. His very entrails hung from the teeth of his assailants. They devoured his flesh with glee, and drank his blood with an animalistic thirst that could only be described as barbaric. The poor man never stood a chance."

"So, you let Octopus die, but not us?" Raven asked.

"There wouldn't have been any other way to save him. Be grateful you three are still alive. Unless you want to spend an eternity here, I would gladly accept my help."

Raven sighed. "You seem like you do want to help us. What can you do? How can you get us out of here?"

"While I can get you out of here, I can't get you back to the Living World." The man said. "I can, however, transport you to another place."

"And what is this place?" Raven asked.

"It is a place that is known as the City of Ghosts and Apparitions, but others refer to it simply as Demon City."

"And what significance does this place have to get us back?"

"There were once a powerful group of demons that wanted to escape to the Living World, but were unsuccessful."

"And how exactly do you know that?" Raven said.

"Believe me, I hear things." The man said. "That place is a great stepping stone to get you back to the living world. Will you accept my help, or not?"

Raven looked back at Wolf and Mantis. "I don't like this." Wolf said. "But I don't think we have any other options."

"I agree with Wolf." Mantis added. "Besides, what do we have to lose, Raven?"

Raven nodded and turned back to the cloaked figure. "Okay. We accept your offer."

"Excellent." The man said, smiling. "Now, join me, and concentrate your spiritual essence to merge with mine. Our combined energies will create a portal that can only be opened for a few seconds. That is when you jump through."

"Then let's get started." Said Raven as he joined the cloaked man. Both men brought their hands together and channeled their essence. As their spiritual essence grew exponentially, the grounds around them started to gust. Wind had started to build as a ring shape began to light up on the ground. From the inside of the ring, the ground began to jolt and spark, and within an instant, the inside of the ring exploded, reveling a window showing a different ground from the plains they stood on. As the portal opened, the cloaked man shouted, "Now, hurry! We don't have much time!"

"Thank you. What do we call you?" Raven asked.

"Call me Lazarus." The man said. "Now hurry! Everyone into the portal!"

Quickly, Raven jumped into the portal, and Mantis and Wolf followed suit. Lazarus smiled. _From inside the fire, to down the rabbit hole._ he thought. And with that, Lazarus jumped down the portal, and the portal exploded leaving no trace in Hell. FOXHOUND and Lazarus had escaped the Devil's Domain.


	7. Rise From Your Grave

Ch. 7: Rise From Your Grave

* * *

><p>Lazarus and the FOXHOUND remnants landed gracefully as they exited the portal. With a sound of thunder, the portal instantaneously closed. As the group looked up, they took in the starkly contrasted scenery from the dimension they just exited. What replaced the winding grounds of hellfire and brimstone now contained dark forests, and empty stone buildings where it seemed like villages once existed. The biggest addition in the background was a great castle that overlooked the buildings and forests, like an ominous colossus guarding it's fellow creatures. With success, they've arrived into the Demon City.<p>

Wolf sniffed the air. "It smells better than Hell, but it's still strong with the scent of blood."

"Indeed." Lazarus said. "The Demon City is not a great place to be at, but it is better than rotting in Hell, don't you think?"

"Any place is better than that cesspool." Mantis said. "Now why are we here? How is this going to help us get back to the Living World?"

"Patience, Psycho Mantis." Lazarus said, raising his hand. "The answers will come in time."

Mantis' eyes widened. "How did you know my name!"

"As I've said, I hear things, and I know things. But how I know is not important."

"Quiet." Raven said simply. "I sense something. It's very faint."

"What is it, Raven?" Wolf said. "Do you sense another presence?"

"It's not that…" Raven said, squinting his eyes. "It's a strange feeling. I think it is an essence. An essence that is lost and wondering."

"Like a ghost?" Asked Wolf.

"Close, but not exactly. It's as if this essence is acting like a distress signal. Like it wants to be found." Raven surveyed the area, trying to find out where the essence was originating.

"Raven, wait!" Mantis called out. He started feeling his head. "I can hear something… It's trying to speak."

As Mantis tried to understand what the voice was saying, he could only make out a few words.

"_Humans… …weak… How…?"_

Mantis tried to communicate with the voice telepathically, hoping that it would lead to any answers.

_"Who are you? Where are you? Can you hear me?"_ Mantis projected.

The voice still spoke in a very mysterious manner. _"No… Mur… I… I…"_

_"What are you trying to say? Help me to understand you." _Mantis said to the voice.

"_Killed… Human… …Weak…"_

_ "Yes? Were you killed?"_

_ "…Dead. Killed… Ruins…"_

_ "Ruins?" _Mantis asked the voice. _"Where are these ruins?"_

_"…Four… Killed… Castle…"_

_ "The castle? Are you inside that castle in the distance?"_

_ "…Ruins… Tower…"_

_ "You're inside the high tower of that castle?"_

_ "…Tower… Castle…"_

"What's going on, Mantis?" Lazarus said.

"The essence. It's speaking telepathically. It said that it was killed, and I think it is inside that castle that looms overhead."

"Inside the tower?" Raven asked.

"Yes. But how did you know that, shaman?"

"It's as if the essence is trying to direct me to it. It's trying to get me to follow it." Raven said.

Wolf walked to Raven's side. "Are you sure it's not trying to lead you into a trap?" She asked.

"This essence is projecting pain. It seems like it has been tortured." Said the shaman.

"So, it wants us to help it. But how do we find it?" Lazarus inquired.

Suddenly, everyone heard a caw. He looked, and perched on a tree was a raven. It cawed as Vulcan Raven made eye contact with it. Raven smiled as he outreached his arm. The raven cocked it's head, blinked, and took off, perching itself on Raven's forearm.

"I think my new found friend here shall help us find it." Raven said, smiling.

Mantis groaned. "You and your birds shaman."

Raven laughed. "You forget, Mantis, that the raven is in tune with the spirits of the dead. They know when one has passed on, and can sense the souls of the departed." Raven raised his arm as the bird spread its wings. "We might be blind to the veil of darkness… But my friend will help us see!" With that, the raven took to flight, and glided toward the highest tower of the castle.

"You friend looks like he knows where to go." Lazarus said. "Shall we follow him?"

"Come! There's no time to lose!" Raven said as he took off running. Lazarus and the rest of FOXHOUND followed suit as they ran towards the castle.

* * *

><p>Maze Castle was a very ominous, yet beholding structure. What was once a formidable fortress where demons dwelled had now become nothing more than memory long forgotten. As the group made their way towards the high tower, they noticed a strange demon corpse that looked like a hulking cat. It was beheaded, but the head was not far from the body, as the tiger-like skull was rotten with deterioration and full of maggots that now inhabited the inside of its skull. As they followed the raven through the twisting hallways of the castle, they arrived at the rooftop courtyard, where the high tower lied in wait. The raven then flew into the distance as Raven waved farewell to it. They noticed that the roof of the tower had a gigantic hole, as if there was a massive explosion there one time.<p>

The group paused as they set their eyes on their destination. "Incredible…" Wolf said, marveling at the architecture.

"I'll say." Lazarus responded.

"The essence leads right inside the tower." Raven said. "Can you hear anything, Mantis?"

Mantis channeled his power if he could hear anything else. So far, it's been dust and echoes. That was until the voice spoke faintly.

_"…Inside… Tower…"_

Mantis looked up. "It's definitely inside. Let's see who's essence this is."

The group walked towards the tower, and made their way up the spiral stair case. When they entered the main room, it was as if a tornado just ravaged the area. There was debris everywhere, bricks lie all around the area. It really was like a ruin. Lying across the room, they saw the remains of what appeared to be a human, but it's resonating energy proved that it was far from it. The body was laying in a prone position, with the head turned to where the group got a look at its face. The body looked like it was chewed on by some type of creature, along with the necrotizing flesh that rotted from the bone. It looked as if it was here for a long time, not noticed by anyone else, save for the scavengers that feasted on the decomposing carrion. It's flesh was missing in certain parts, mainly in the head. One eye appeared to be opened, but it was sunken in, as the other half was exposed skull and an empty eye socket.

What remained was it's bright yellow hair, with what appeared to be long, red strands of hair in front of its face. It wore what looked like traditional fighting clothes, with a white scarf and a red gi, and a blue and white sash, but the cloth was tattered. With what seemed to appear to be a rotting corpse still felt as if something was clinging on. An energy hanging by a mere thread. Then it dawns on Raven.

"The essence! It's coming from that corpse." He said, point to the body.

Mantis then heard the voice again. _"Body… Help…"_

"I can confirm it, too. The voice is coming from the body." Mantis said. "It wants us to help it."

"But how?" Wolf said. "It's long dead. There's nothing we can do."

Lazarus raised a finger. "Actually, there is."

Wolf looked at him. "What, you're going to bring him to life?" She said sarcastically.

Lazarus simply smiled. "You're very sharp, Wolf. You know that?"

Wolf widened her eyes. "You must be joking!"

"Do I look like a joker?" Lazarus asked. "I'm going to resurrect this person."

Mantis looked at Lazarus. "You're absolutely insane!" Mantis said. "No one can bring anybody back from the dead!"

"Don't be so quick to judge, Psychic." Raven said. "But really, Lazarus, can you really resurrect anybody?"

"Yes, but only once in a few years. It takes a lot of energy from me." Lazarus said. "Something tells me that whoever that corpse is can help us get back to the Living World."

As Lazarus explained, Raven noticed what looked like the remains of a bird. What consisted was merely a bird skull and a wing bone. Raven thought of an idea that could work later.

Lazarus walked towards the corpse. After inspecting it, he kneeled and spread his hands across the body. "Be sure to stand back." Lazarus said to the group. "This might get a little bumpy." Raven smirked as he went into the corner where the bird remains were.

Under his breath, Lazarus muttered strange words that no one could make out. As he chanted, his hands started to glow and wind started to pick up around them. Lazarus continued to chant as the gusts grew stronger. As if by some miracle, the flesh that was once rotted from the corpse had started to regenerate and look fresh with life again. The eyes had started to form back to what they once were, and even his clothes had started to reform. By the time Lazarus's chant had grown louder, a bolt of lighting struck the corpse, as if new life had just forcefully entered the body. After it struck, the body flinched and tensed up, as the head snapped up and drew in a strong breathe of air. The once rotting corpse had now been successfully resurrected.

As Lazarus finished his incitation, he reached out helping hand to the once dead being.

"Rise from your grave, my friend." Lazarus said. "Like the phoenix from the ashes, the breath of life is fresh within you once again."

The yellow haired being took a look at his surroundings. It was all so surreal. He looked down at his hands, and felt his very body. It couldn't be. Was he truly alive? It felt just like yesterday that he felt Death's claws enclose around him. He thought he couldn't be among the living once again, but someone had proven him wrong. And that someone was standing right in front of him, offering a hand. He didn't know what to make of the situation. It all seemed like a dream, yet he knew deep down that it was all real.

The being looked up at Lazarus. "You heard me…" The being said.

"Yes, we did." Lazarus responded, smiling. "Though we had no idea that it came from you directly. How do you feel?"

The being looked at himself again. "I… I don't know."

As Wolf and Mantis approached, he noticed something strange about the four people that inhabited the room. They were all human. Just like his killer…

"…Humans?" the being softly asked. Then rage started to show. "…I was saved… BY HUMANS!"

"You must calm yourself!" Mantis said. "Though we are mere humans, we did hear you. I communicated with your spiritual essence."

"You lie!" The being shouted. "No human could hear me!"

"Do you know any human who is a telepath?" Mantis asked. "I heard your voice inside my mind, while our comrade sensed your essence. You led us here, and now here you are, alive once again."

The being looked at the gas masked man with sound and fury. "I will not be helped by pathetic insects! I am the mighty Suzaku! LEADER OF THE FOUR SAINT BEASTS!"

"Not anymore, you're not." Mantis said. "From what your memories tell me, your "saint beasts" are dead, yet you don't give a damn."

"And why should I?" Suzaku said. "They were sorry excuses for demons! They had no place to be under my leadership! They were weak!"

"Now, now…" Lazarus said, trying to calm Suzaku. "There's really no need for any of this hostility. You're not dead anymore, thanks to me. We wouldn't help you unless you could help us as well."

"And why exactly should I help you humans?" The demon asked. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

"Because I heard about what happened to you and the Saint Beasts." Lazarus said. "You wanted immigration into the Human World because you wanted to reign supreme, right?"

Suzaku widened his eyes. "How do you know th-"

"How I know is of no importance." Lazarus said. "But I can tell that you still want to enter the Living World. We want the same thing."

"I still think I should kill you right now." Said Suzaku. "Time's running out. Tell me why I should help you, or suffer your fate at my hand!"

"I propose an alliance." Said Lazarus. "We'll help you if you help us."

"Tempting, but I will pass." Suzaku said, as he formed a fighting stance. "I haven't shed blood in a long time. You'll go first!"

Suddenly, Raven called from the corner of the room. "Hold it!"

Mantis looked towards the shaman, and immediately sensed that he held a surprise behind his back. Smirking under his mask, Mantis turned towards the demon.

"…Hmmm. You still won't help us?" Mantis asked. "Then tell me, if you won't help us, who will you have to guide you?"

"I need no one!" Suzaku shouted. "I only have myself!"

"Correction." Mantis said. "You had someone when you were alive. Someone you hold quite dear to you."

"You know nothing about me!"

"On the contrary. I can read your mind. When I lived, I was the greatest practitioner of Psychokinesis and Telepathy! I can read every mental detail that you have!"

"You… are… lying!" Suzaku shouted, he patience wearing thin.

"He's not." Raven said simply. "I know there is someone dear to you as well." Suzaku only looked at the shaman confused. Was this a deception? Raven continued. "If you help us, I will return what is dear to you. I promise. Now please, will you assist us?"

"You humans are all the same. I don't believe any of your lies!" Suzaku shouted.

Raven stared down the Saint Beast. "I am warning you, demon. Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap parlor tricks. I always keep my promises." He said, his eyes not leaving the demon's gaze. "We are warriors of integrity, and we do not backstab our own. It seems you made a wrong alliance in the past with your so-called Saint Beasts. An alliance of animals who only think like barbarians. Let us rectify that."

Suzaku scowled. _Fine, I'll play their little game_ He thought to himself. "Okay, I'll help you. But if you fail me, I'll kill you all slowly and painfully.

Raven smiled. "I'm glad you would see our way." Drawing his hand away from his back, he held what looked like a bird the size of a parrot. It looked exotic, with blue and green feathers covering it. Raven petted the bird. "It's okay. You can look. He's here." The bird slowly looked up, and opened its eyes, revealing bright, crimson irises. As it saw the yellow haired demon, it uttered only one word.

"S-…Su-…Suzaku?"

Suzaku felt as if a giant exclamation point flashed in his mind. He knew that voice all too well. But she was killed! Did this human really bring her back?

With his mouth agape, Suzaku fell to his knees. "It… It can't be." He said, tears starting to swell in his eyes. "Murugu?"

Silence filled the entire room. But before anyone could say anything, Murugu instantly took off from Raven's hand and flew straight towards Suzaku. He caught Murugu into his chest and hugged her tightly.

"I don't believe this!" Suzaku said, not hiding his joy. "It really is you, Murugu! You're alive!"

"I'm so happy to see you, Suzaku!" said Murugu, nuzzling his chest. "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Me too." Suzaku simply replied, feeling fresh tears falling down his cheeks. Suzaku continued to hug his loyal pet close to his heart. Like a child to man's best friend, the Saint Beast felt whole again, his heart overflowing with joy.

Raven could only smile at the display before him. Drying his face, Suzaku looked at the shaman. "How? Why?" He asked, trying to contain himself.

"I have friends, too. Back in my lifetime, the ravens have helped guide me throughout my hardships. I hold my heart dearly to them." said Raven. "Your pet reminded me of why I have such good friends in the ravens. They helped me when I was alive, just as much as she helped you."

Regaining his composure, Suzaku stood up, as he set Murugu to perch on his shoulder. "You humans have surprised me. Not even the other Saint Beasts would do this for me."

Mantis laughed. "Anything for the boss. What do you say?"

Suzaku smiled. "Looks like I won't kill you humans after all. You are all an exception in my book."

"So, you'll help us?" Wolf asked.

"Consider this an alliance, my friends!" Suzaku replied. "I think it's time we got the attention of the Spirit World. What do you humans call yourselves?"

"I am Vulcan Raven." Said the giant.

"My name is Sniper Wolf." Said the woman.

"I… am Psycho Mantis!" Said the man in the gas mask.

"And before we died," Mantis said. "we were once apart of a group known as FOXHOUND."

"And you can call me Lazarus." Said the cloaked man.

"FOXHOUND, huh?" Suzaku said. "Then it's decided. From today onward, no longer am I the leader of the Four Saint Beasts! I, Suzaku, am now the leader of…" He raised his fist.

"…New-FOXHOUND!"

Murugu laughed gleefully. "New-FOXHOUND. I rather like it!"

Suzaku turned towards his new team. Mantis stepped forth. "So, what are our plans, Boss?"

"Simple." Suzaku said. "We send a message."


	8. Deadline

Ch. 8: Deadline

* * *

><p>Hiei aimlessly wandered around the hallways of the castle. He really had nothing better to do in this needlessly huge structure that Koenma claimed ownership of. He was bored, that's all there is to it. If only something of interest happened. Anything. As he continued to walk around, he noticed Kurama turning a corner and made eye contact with him.<p>

"There you are." Kurama said. "I've been looking for you."

"…And?" Hiei asked, eyebrow raised. "What do you want?"

"I was wondering what happened between you and Koenma? What did he say to you?"

Hiei chuckled to himself. "It was a pointless meeting. All he kept saying was how I wasn't supposed to kill Gray Fox. I didn't care, really. He just told me to get out. I guess he was just annoyed."

"Annoyed?" Kurama asked. "You almost tried to kill him. For the second time, no less. And even when I told you _myself_ that you were not supposed to."

Hiei sighed. "Now you're back to this again, Kurama." he said. "Why do you care so much about that human?"

"He's a good fighter, and I felt sympathetic for him with what he dealt with when he was alive." Kurama answered. "I know he's a good person inside, that's why I-"

"Don't give me that same bullshit, Foxy." Hiei snapped. "I'm tired of hearing about this human and his life story." He moved closer to Kurama's face. "When he crossed our paths, he wanted to die immediately. Why didn't you finish the job?"

"His life was in my hands, and I decided to spare him. It's simple."

"You fight him, and almost kill him, and nothing happens to you. I try to, and you threaten me, and the toddler whines constantly about it!"

"The last time I checked," Kurama said. "He didn't challenge you. Why do you care so much about killing Fox?"

"Because I'm tired of playing second banana to humans. The fact that I'm supposed to help Yusuke and Kuwabara is bad as it is. Now, there's another human who's almost as powerful as you are, and like always, defeat means friendship. If he challenged me, I would've sliced his head from his shoulders and chopped his body into a thousand pieces."

Kurama put a palm to his face. He knew this type of ranting all to well, even from Hiei. But to think… really? "You're kidding, right?" He asked Hiei. "Are you actually jealous of Fox?"

Hiei's eyes widened. "…I-I beg your pardon?" He stammered. "Jealous!"

"Well, it's only natural, Hiei. You can't stand it when people are stronger than you. That's why you teamed up with me, remember?"

"…What are you talking about, Kurama?"

"You even said that when we first went to Maze Castle. If it weren't for me, you would be dead by now."

Hiei turned his back. "I don't need anyone, human or demon! And I certainly don't need you to look after me like some kind of child!" He said, adamantly as he walked away.

Kurama, scowling, forcibly turned Hiei around and rammed him against the wall holding him by the scarf. They stared each other down, as the tension suddenly escalated.

I am starting to grow tired of babysitting you, Hiei." Kurama said, seething. "My own stepbrother is easier to take care of than you are."

"You! Take care of ME!" Hiei chuckled. "That's a laugh!"

"Ever since we've met Gray Fox, that's exactly what you've been acting like!" Kurama said. ""Like some kind of child! Well, guess what? I'm really getting sick of having to watch over you like I'm your mother!"

"And I'm tired of seeing you cling to that cyborg like a little puppy! You've become obsessed with this pitiful human! "

Kurama banged Hiei's back against the wall. "Do you realize how much of a hypocrite you sound like?"

Hiei didn't respond.

Kurama closed his eyes and sighed. "Listen, Hiei." He bagan, calming down. You've been a great asset to us, and you've saved us more times than I know. I don't want you to get into anymore trouble over a senseless killing. Please, Hiei. Stop with this nonsense about Fox."

Hiei huffed. "You really think this person's all that, huh? Would you take my life if I made an attempt on his?"

Kurama got in his face. "If it comes to that, maybe. Besides, you do know how nasty my plants can be, right?"

_Yeah, just like you said after your fight._ Hiei thought to himself. He then smirked. "Alright, fine. I'll let your new friend live. Now, let me go."

Kurama breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Hiei. That's all I ask of you." He let go of Hiei's scarf.

"I'll give you this." Hiei said. "You sure do know how to convince me."

"I try." Kurama quipped, as he turned and walked away. "Oh, and Hiei?"

Hiei looked at him. Before he knew it, he felt something whiz by his ear. Kurama's rose stuck to the wall next to Hiei's head.

"That's for insurance if you ever go over my head again." Kurama said, winking. And with that, he went along his way.

Hiei, still surprised, looked at the thrown rose. He shuddered to himself as he thought of Kurama's consequences.

* * *

><p>"…It was then I bid Kurama farewell and went on my way. Afterward, it took some getting used to being in this world, but then you found me. That should be what happened to me in a nutshell, at least."<p>

Gray Fox just finished telling Koenma everything that happened after Zanzibar Land. He told about Shadow Moses, his death, and even his fight with Kurama. Koenma was eating a bowl of rice as the cyborg ninja told his tale. He knew that Fox saw so much action in his lifetime, but hearing about Shadow Moses from the man himself, stuff like this always raised his appetite.

As Koenma finished his last few bites of his bowl, he set it aside and looked at Fox. "I gotta say, you're quite the story teller, Frank. I haven't heard something this good since this strange story that Botan told a long time ago."

"Story or not, that's what happened. I hope it's enough detail for my files."

"Oh, believe me, what you told me is _more_ than enough, Frank. I really do appreciate your time for telling me your story. I'll be sure to let my ogres know about reorganizing your files." Koenma said.

"Will I be still be judged?" Fox asked.

"Absolutely! All I need is-"

Suddenly George burst into Koenma's office, holding a video cassette. Botan followed as well, trying to stop the eager ogre.

"Ah, George. Just in time. Could you let the ogres know about Frank Jaeger's files and-"

"Sir, I just got a videotape from this group asking for Yusuke and his team!"

"I'm sorry, sir." Botan said. "He wouldn't stop even when I told him to."

Koenma held a hand up to her. "Botan, please. George and I are talking. Now, George, I don't have time for this right now. We need to organize Frank's files, and that's not-"

"You're not going to believe who's on this tape, either!" George said, in a near state of panic.

"…And that's not all. I still need to judge Frank, and figure how to place him in-"

"It's Suzaku! He's back!"

"And then I need Frank to…" Koenma trailed off, as George's words sunk in. The whole room suddenly fell silent. "…What did you say, George?" Koenma asked in disbelief.

"I said, Suzaku's back! I don't know how, but he's returned."

Koenma glared straight into George's eyes. "If you're pulling my leg about this, George…"

"Do you really think I'm making this up!"

Koenma's eyes widened. _He's really not kidding? _he thought._ Damn. No, wait! How is Suzaku back?_

"Yusuke killed him, though, didn't he?" Botan asked. "How has he returned? Are the other Saint Beasts back, as well?"

"It doesn't look like it, but it seems that he's with a new group." George explained. "These people are calling themselves New-FOXHOUND."

Gray Fox turned when he heard the word 'FOXHOUND'. "New-FOXHOUND?" Fox asked.

"Yes, but I don't know that much else."

Koenma reached his hand outward. "Give me the tape, George. I need to see this for myself." George gave the tape to Koenma, as he walked over to the giant screen and touched his hand on the wall. A VCR then popped out, and he inserted the tape. Once it started playing, Koenma went back to his desk and watched the video intently.

As his fears were confirmed, the screen showed Suzaku standing tall and proud. Koenma noticed Suzaku's red antennae still looked damaged from his fight with Yusuke, but he looked good as new.

"Is it recording, Murugu?" Suzaku asked.

"Yep! The camera loves you, Suzaku!" A cheery voice said.

"What can I say? Bruce Campbell has got nothing on this." He said, winking at the camera.

"Now, quiet on the set. And… action!"

Suzaku cleared his throat. "Greetings, Koenma. I trust you remember who I am, and that this video finds you in time. For those watching who don't know who I am, let me introduce myself. I am Suzaku, former leader of the Four Saint Beasts, and leader of New-FOXHOUND. I am sending you this message to tell you, first and foremost, that after 13 long months, I'm back. And better than ever."

Suzaku pointed to his left to show off his team. The camera panned and showed 3 other people. A blonde haired woman, a man in a gas mask, and a tattooed, muscular man. "Let me introduce you to New-FOXHOUND. First, we have Sniper Wolf. The deadliest sharpshooting human I have ever seen." He then pointed to the large man. "Next is Vulcan Raven, a shaman that has surprised me in his skills in the supernatural." He lastly pointed to the man in the gas mask. "And finally, we have Psycho Mantis. To quote him, he is my 'best practitioner of psychokinesis and telepathy.'" He pointed to the camera. "These humans you see are not your common human, and are much more competent than my Saint Beasts. Lazarus, the vile, if you please."

A man in a cloak walked past the camera handing a small vile to Suzaku. He held it up as the camera zoomed in on it. "Do you see this? This is what I call my newest creation, and will help me greatly in my conquest of the Living World. What you see in my hand is my newest breed of my Makai Insects. Say hello to my NanoMakai."

"NanoMakai?" Koenma asked himself perplexed.

"My comrade Psycho Mantis was kind enough to donate some of his blood to me, and it turns out that his blood, and even Wolf 's and Raven's blood, have little robots called Nanomachines. I then fused my smallest Makai Insects with these machines, and they developed a great symbiotic relationship. And the great thing is that they multiplied a lot quicker than I thought. With this fruitless new invention, I decided to give this a run for its money and, with the use of a pocket portal, turned these NanoMakai airborne. Don't bother trying to detect the portal, because I've already spread them before I made this tape."

As he handed the vile back to Lazarus, he even outstretched his hands. "Oh, and I hope you've noticed, but I don't even need the Makai Whistle anymore. Because the Nanomachines are artificially intelligent anyway, combined with how the Makai Insects function, I created, to put it in human terms, my own sentient Bubonic Plague."

Suzaku walked over to where a switch with a red button lie. "This switch you see here will trigger the NanoMakai and turn your humans into mindless, rageful zombies, just like before. However, I will not make the mistake of watching Yusuke Urameshi's girlfriend squirm, and possess her, and the rest of the world, without delay. But I can already tell that you do not want your precious humans harmed, and this little catastrophe can be averted if you do the right thing."

Suzaku walked toward the camera, as he gazed into the lens. "If you want your human world relatively untouched, I have a few demands. They are as follows; I, including New-FOXHOUND, want free immigration into the Spirit World and the Human World, much like the last time I kindly asked. You will also resurrect my teammates so that they will have a second chance at life, as they told me you made a stupid mistake in judging their place."

Koenma banged his head on the desk. "Doooh, I knew that would come back to haunt me."

"My demands are easy to meet, and I hope you don't have any thoughts of trying to attack me with your precious Spirit Detective and his strike team. I understand you'll need some time in deciding, so I'll leave you with this. You have 36 hours to decide if you want to meet my demands, but I know you'll do the right thing, Koenma."

"36 HOURS?" Koenma shouted. "Are you kidding me?"

"Remember, Koenma. 36 hours. Otherwise, your human world will fall before your very eyes. I await your decision." Suzaku smiled at the camera, as he began to cackle like a madman.

As his cackle subsided, he continued to smile at the camera. He expected it to be turned off, but it wasn't. "Am I still on?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's still rolling Suzaku." Murugu said.

Suzaku looked left and right. "I... don't have anything else to say. You know, you can cut, Murugu."

"I don't know how to turn it off! Besides, I've only got wings you know!"

Suzaku rolled his eyes as he walked towards the camera and grabbed it, fidgeting with the buttons. "Hang on, Murugu, you're doing it wrong. You see that button? You press it, and it turns-"

With that, the video cut off.

Koenma sat in his chair, trying to figure out what to do next. He can't meet Suzaku's demands, and the only way to take the human world was over his dead body. _Looks like there's only one way…_ he thought.

"Botan!" He said, pointing to her. "Get Yusuke and his team over here as fast as you can! We need to meet with them ASAP!"

Gray Fox stood from his seat. "That's not going to be enough." He said.

"Frank, please." Botan said. "I can assure you, Yusuke and his team are more than Suzaku can handle. I think they'll be alright with New-FOX-"

"No, they won't." Fox interrupted. He looked at Koenma in the eyes. "You yourself know that FOXHOUND was a group of extraordinary soldiers, myself included." Koenma nodded. "Your detective is facing just that. Soldiers. If he rushes in there blindly, they'll rip him apart like tissue paper. "

"And you think you've got anyone else in mind to help, Frank?" Koenma asked.

Fox thought a bit, and smiled. "As a matter of fact…" He then turned to Botan. "You. You said you've talked to Solid Snake before, right?"

"Yes, I did." Botan said, nodding. "Are you suggesting…"

"Indeed. Get Snake over here as fast as you can. He'll want to hear about this."

Botan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure he'll agree to that?"

"Tell him Gray Fox sent for you. He'll agree one way or another if it's from me."

"Roger!" she said, winking. She then ran out of Koenma's office, wasting little time.

The ninja turned to face Koenma. "Also, I'd like to make a request."

"Yes, Frank?"

"Whatever mission you have planned, I wish to join. I've been in FOXHOUND, so I know how an agent of that group knows how to operate."

Koenma's eyes widened. "Are you insane, Frank? You're still unjudged! If you get yourself killed, you're spirit will never be able to ascend!"

"If that's what it takes, then so be it." Fox said, leaning forward on Koenma's desk, looking at the ruler right in the eye. "But you and your detective are going to need assistance in taking down that demon as well as those FOXHOUND guys."

The ninja's eyes squinted. "If you feel you must hold me down and prevent me from helping, then you're free to try. But I'll say this. I don't care if you're a ruler or not, and I don't care if you're concerned about my safety. But don't ever, EVER, underestimate me."

With that, Fox stood back up and straightened his posture. Koenma cleared his throat.

"Alright. You're wish is granted, Frank. Nothing's planned at the moment, but you're free to help out in this matter if you like."

The cyborg nodded in appreciation. Koenma hopped on his desk as Fox sat back down. "I just really hope you know what you're doing, Frank."

Fox only looked at the screen, thinking about the members of FOXHOUND. He'll be happy if Yusuke and his team do take them on, that they even walk away alive. "Yeah. Me too." Fox simply said.


	9. Soldier's Reunion

Ch. 9: Soldier's Reunion

* * *

><p>Solid Snake was in the living room of his cabin, cleaning a few of his guns. He had an assorted collection of different weapons of any kind you could think of. You name it, Snake probably had it, be it historical, tactical, hunting, even CQC compatible. The particular gun he was cleaning was an M1911A1 Springfield Operator that his old FOXHOUND instructor Master Miller had given him. Snake scrubbed the inside of the barrel with a brush, getting out every speck of dust and gunpowder that remained in the weapon's barrel. Snake inspected it, and smiled to himself.<p>

_ Perfect._ He thought, feeling accomplished. _Master, if you could see this now._ Snake then reassembled the gun in a quick fashion, timing himself. As he fastened the slide on the gun, he aimed it down, and pulled the trigger, making the hammer give the gun a distinct 'click'. _7 second assembly. Not bad._

As he was about to put the gun down to clean another one, he heard a knock on the door. He made his way to the front door and opened it. However, no one was there. Snake raised an eyebrow. "A prankster? Here?" He asked to no one in particular. Suddenly, he heard a knock. This time, it was inside the cabin. His head darted from behind.

"Huh? What was that noise?" Wasting little time, he grabbed the Operator from the table and slid in a fully loaded magazine. He pulled the slide back, chambering a round and held it ready. As he slowly walked through his cabin, he tried to gauge where the noise had come from. As he crept slowly into the kitchen, he noticed the back door was slightly cracked. _Huh? How did that get opened? _He thought to himself. As he shut the door, and inspected the room, he noticed a familiar object leaning on the kitchen counter.

It was a rowing ore. An object that he knew only one person would bring in. He smiled to himself, and thought of a way to draw out his so called 'intruder'. "Oh, gee." Snake spoke loudly, not sounding too convincing as an actor. "There seems to be a rowing ore here. I wonder who could be in my house now?" As he went over to pick it up, he paused for a moment, hoping to try and hear footsteps. He instantly whipped around, dropping the ore and aimed his gun at whoever would appear behind him. Unfortunately, there was no one there. Snake rubbed his head, trying to figure out where this person was hiding.

He then heard a door creak, and instantly whipped around. He looked to where the creak came from. Snake then noticed his pantry door was opened slightly. "I thought I closed that…" He pondered, as he slowly crept toward it. With his gun held ready, Snake then swung the pantry door open to catch the intruder. However, there was nothing inside. Just canned food, snacks, and some dog food for the Huskies.

Snake growled to himself. "Where are you?" he asked out loud. As soon as he said that, he was caught off guard by a female voice.

"Don't move!"

Snake's eyes widened in alert, and did what any good soldier would do if he were caught. He raised his hands, with his finger off the trigger. As he did so, he smiled to himself. He recognized the voice.

"Is that you Botan?" He asked.

The blue haired grim reaper giggled. "Bingo, Snake. I never really thought you would go for the pantry." Botan said.

"Well, at least you knocked. But why did you come in like this? Did you think you'd out fox me or something?"

Botan smiled. "You know what they say, Snake. On the battlefield…"

Snake rolled his eyes as he finished her sentence. "…Death sneaks up on you when you least expect it. Yeah, I know." Snake should have known better when dealing with Death, even if she was cheery. "Why are you here? Did you come to tell me you found Gray Fox?"

"Well, we did find him and he's safe and sound. However, that's not why I'm here to see you, Snake." Snake raised an eyebrow as he turned around to face Botan. He noticed that she wasn't even holding a gun, but had her finger pointed in a gun gesture.

As Snake turned, Botan winked and 'pulled the trigger'. "Bang!"

Snake chuckled. "You got me Botan." He said as he put his hands down. "So, Gray Fox is all right, huh?" Botan nodded. "Why exactly are you here, then?"

"I'm actually here to take you to the Spirit World, Snake."

"The Spirit World?" Snake asked. "Is it my time to go already?"

"Oh, no. Of course not. That won't be for at least 10 years from now."

Snake blinked. "Huh?"

Botan then thought about what she just said, and sweat dropped. _Oh no. I shouldn't have said that._ "Uh…" She stammered, waving her arms in front of her. "I-It's nothing, really! Forget I said that!"

Snake raised an eyebrow. "Okay… Why exactly are you taking me to the Spirit World?"

"Well, uh…" She tried to explain. "We have a bit of a problem. A demon we took out once had just been resurrected, and Frank recommended you to assist us."

Snake sighed. "So… it's another mission?"

Botan put a finger on her lip. "Well, yes and no. Yes, because you'll be of some help to our team, and I'm sure Frank with his combat experience will gladly help, and no, because this is unofficial. But you have to know, that this demon is-"

"Sorry, Botan." Snake interrupted, putting a hand up. "I'm retired. I'm not a soldier anymore. Furthermore, demons sound like a little too much for me."

Botan's eyes widened. "B-B-But, Frank said you could do this. He said that you would-"

"Fox can say a lot of things, and he's a good friend. But he sounds like he could help you more than I could. Besides, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"So… you're not going to help us?"

"I'd love to, Botan. Really. But if this is a demon, I think I'm not the right man for the job. Sorry." Snake turned and walked toward the couch, and went to clean his weapons. Botan followed and sat on the floor across from the former FOXHOUND mercenary.

"Snake. We're not asking you to do this alone. This isn't a solo sneaking mission like the others you've done. You'll have a team with you."

"Even so, I'm not cut out for your team." Snake said as he picked up an M4 carbine and started to strip the parts. "I don't have any special powers. I'm just a regular guy."

"You may not have powers, but you have skills and knowledge." Botan said, putting a hand on Snake's knee. "And we think you might know something of the group that this demon is with."

Snake took a brush and cleaned the barrel of the M4. "A group, huh? How would I know about them?"

"Because you've faced them on Shadow Moses before." Botan explained.

Snake instantly stopped cleaning the barrel, and looked Botan straight in the eye. "How do you know that?" He asked.

"I told you before, your information is on file, Snake. You're mission at Shadow Moses is just one detail out of a ton that we know." She pointed straight at Snake. "Psycho Mantis, Sniper Wolf, and Vulcan Raven are helping this demon, and you know how to take these guys down. That's why I was sent for you."

"Raven, Wolf, _and_ Mantis?" Snake asked. "I killed them though."

"You did, Snake. But their spirits are now at Demon City and aligning themselves with a powerful demon. If you don't help us, your world is going to fall into anarchy and die!"

Snake tilted his head. "And Fox said I'd help you guys?"

"He said if it was from him, one way or another you would agree." Botan put her hand on Snake's shoulder. "Now, are you with us? Will you help defeat this demon?"

Snake thought for a bit. "Hmmm…." he pondered as he reassembled his M4. "Sounds pretty serious. Especially if they're with a demon. But I know how they operate." As he fastened the parts together, he aimed down the sights. "Just tell me what gear I need to bring."

Botan's smile grew bigger. "You mean it? You'll actually help us?"

Snake looked up from the M4's sights. "Count me in. I can't let Fox have all of the glory can't I?"

Botan gasped. Without a second thought, she glomped the mercenary. "Oh Snake! Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou!"

Snake didn't know what to think. "O-okay. Okay, Botan, you can let go now." He said, trying to pry the reaper off of him. "Hey, cut it out! Let go!"

Botan giggled as she let her grip loose. "I'm sorry, Snake. I couldn't help myself."

Snake put his rifle down and stood from the couch. "So, what should I bring?"

Botan thought for a moment. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to be fully prepared. I would bring everything you have at the moment."

"Okay." Snake said, nodding. "Give me a few minutes."

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes have passed. Botan was waiting impatiently on top of her ore, absentmindedly floating in the air. Seriously, how long did it have to take to gear up?<p>

"Snake?" Botan called. "How much longer? We really need to get moving!"

"Just a minute." Snake responded. "I'll be right out!"

Botan huffed as she continued to wait. And wait. And wait. And wait even more.

"Okay, Botan. I'm ready."

Botan turned around, and noticed Snake was in different attire. He was wearing a gray skintight suit, with a gun holster, and a combat vest over the suit. Combat boots as well as elbow and knee pads donned the outside of his outfit, with black gloves on his hands. The crowning piece of the completed ensemble was a bandana that adorned Snake's forehead, the extended straps drooping down on his shoulders.

Snake smirked as he stood with his arms folded. "Kept you waiting, huh?"

"I'll say." Botan said. "Now hop on my ore."

_Hope that'll support me._ Snake thought to himself as he sat beside the grim reaper. He was surprised that the ore felt like he was sitting on a chair.

"Hold on tight, Snake." She said. Snake encircled his arms around Botan's waist. "Okay. Here we go!" The door instantly swung open as they zoomed out of the cabin. They started to gain speed until they reached enough momentum to trigger the portal. As they moved into the portal, Snake did what any warrior would do when traveling to another plane of existence. Snake screamed.

* * *

><p>There was a loud crack and a flash. Botan and Snake entered Spirit World within an instant. Botan smiled as she saw the familiar landscape of the River Styx. "All right. We're here, Snake!"<p>

She expected a response, but she heard nothing. "Snake?" She looked around. Still, no response. "SNAAAAKE!"

"I'm down here, Botan!" Botan looked downward, and saw Snake hanging on to her ore.

Botan extended her hand. "Grab on, Snake!" He grabbed Botan's arm as he got back on her ore. As he balanced himself, he looked around the land.

"So, is this the Spirit World?" Snake asked.

"Yep! What do you think?"

"Hmm… Not exactly what I was expecting."

"You might be in for a few more surprises, then." Botan said, smiling.

As they flew down to the castle, they made their way to the large double doors to the entrance. She knocked on the door. "Botan here." She called out. "I've got Solid Snake with me." With a loud creak, the doors slowly opened, revealing a long dark hallway. They walked down the hall.

"So, who are we seeing?" Snake asked.

"We're seeing the ruler of the Spirit World, Koenma." Botan said. "I highly suggest you be polite to him."

"Don't worry. I can play nice." Snake said, smirking.

"I really wouldn't joke. A friend of mine made that mistake at first."

"…" Snake growled.

As they made their way to the end of the hallway, they walked into the office area. Snake noticed that there were strange creatures working in desks, running around with stacks of papers, and shouting loudly on telephones. Snake only raised an eyebrow as he walked past the creatures. Until he heard a familiar raspy voice.

"Don't worry. They surprised me as well. Not exactly what I expected either."

Snake turned his head forward, and noticed a person in exoskeleton armor. He had a red optic in the center of the helmet with his faceplate opened. There was a film over his right eye. Snake's eyes widened.

"Gray Fox?" He asked, bewildered. "Is that really you?"

The cyborg ninja smiled. "In the flesh. Well, if I had flesh, anyway. It's great to see you again, Snake."

Snake extended his hand as Gray Fox grabbed it, shaking it firmly. "Likewise, Fox." Snake said. "How are you?"

"I've been better. But unfortunately, we don't have time to get reacquainted with each other. We need you to-"

"Help you out with your demon problem? Yeah, Botan told me. What've you got, Fox?"

"It's not for me to tell." Fox looked at Botan. "Do you wish to join us, Miss?"

"Sure!" She chirped. "Come on, Snake. Prepare to meet your judge!"

"Don't scare me off yet, lady." Snake retorted. As the doors slid open, Snake noticed a small toddler sitting in a chair at a desk. He was wearing what appeared to be Pjs with a hat that had a kanji symbol with Jr. underneath it.

"I'm back, Sir! And I've brought a special guest." Botan said.

Koenma grinned. "Good. Come in!" The Spirit World ruler leaned forward as the three stepped inside. "Solid Snake, I presume?"

"That's me." Snake said. "And you are?"

"I'm the mighty Koenma! It's a pleasure to finally meet a legend like yourself."

Snake only tilted his head in confusion. He looked at Fox, and then at Botan. "Is this the…?"

"Yes." Fox answered. "He's the ruler. Don't be rude!"

Snake sighed at the mere absurdity of the display before him, but nonetheless, he was a higher figure after all. Snake then snapped to a straight posture, and saluted the young Ruler.

Botan only sighed at the display. "I'm sorry, sir. I hope he's not-"

"He's fine, Botan!" Koenma said, grinning. "I've always wanted to do this, actually." He cleared his throat. "Attention!"

Snake then snapped into attention, with his hands to his sides. "Good. At ease, soldier." The mercenary then relaxed himself.

"Sorry about that, Snake. Please, you and Frank can sit down." Fox and Snake did just that.

"Now, I assume Botan filled you in on what was going on?" Koenma asked.

"Yeah. She told me that FOXHOUND's with a demon." Snake said. "Who is this, exactly?"

Koenma opened a folder and took out a photo. He handed it to Snake. "Here. See for yourself."

Snake took the photo from Koenma's hands and inspected it. The photo had a human-like figure smirking at the camera. He had golden hair with what appeared to be red streaks on his bangs, an ornament on his forehead, and what looked like a white scarf and red gi. "Looks like a charming guy." Snake quipped.

Koenma explained the photo. "This is Suzaku. He was at one point in time the leader of a group known as the Four Saint Beasts. They were a formidable faction that almost led the world into total chaos. We sent in our own Spirit Detective into Maze Castle and quelled him and the Saint Beasts just last year."

Snake looked at Koenma. "Botan said this guy was killed and resurrected. How exactly did he come back?"

"We don't know that, Snake." Koenma answered. "All we know is that the group you neutralized on Shadow Moses are now allied with Suzaku. They're calling themselves New-FOXHOUND."

"New-FOXHOUND?" Snake asked, confused. "Why that name, of all things?"

"I honestly don't know that either. Even I know what FOXHOUND actually stood for. I've judged a lot of people who were once in that unit, not just Frank Jaeger and these guys."

"FOXHOUND might as well be dead and buried by now." Snake crossed his arms. "So, what's the situation?"

Gray Fox contributed. "They said they've released something called NanoMakai into the world."

"NanoMakai?"

"They're nanomachines fused with Makai Insects, bugs that possess humans and turn them into raging, bloodthirsty barbarians." Koenma explained. "Suzaku said that he and New-FOXHOUND want immigration into Spirit World and the Human World, and if those demands aren't met within 36 hours, they'll activate the NanoMakai and turn your world into a complete wasteland. We have about 33 hours remaining as of now."

"Okay. Now, from what I've been told from Botan, these guys are at someplace called Demon City?" Koenma nodded as Snake smirked. "So let me guess. You want me to sneak into this place, and take these guys down one by one?"

"Well, yes. But you won't be going this alone." Koenma said. "For one, Frank here will actually be joining you on this mission."

Fox turned to Snake and smiled. "Just like old times, right, Snake?"

Snake smiled back. "All right. Who else?"

"Our Spirit Detective, Yusuke Urameshi will also be joining you, as well as Hiei, Kurama, and Kazuma Kuwabara. You'll meet them as soon as we arrange a mission briefing."

"And for support?"

"Botan and I will be in contact with you during your mission. Aside from that, it'll be standard infiltration, pretty much your forte." Koenma leaned forward. "Any questions, Snake?"

Snake thought for a bit. "Yeah. Could I request that a few more people join the team for this operation?"

Koenma smiled. "Sure! The more people, the merrier! Who did you have in mind?"

"You'll see." Snake then walked up and made for the door.

"Snake!" Botan called out. "Where are you going?"

As he opened the door, he turned to Botan. "Making a call." He said simply. As he was punching a few buttons on his Codec, they made out a few words before the door closed.

"Otacon. It's Snake…"


	10. Fortifications

Ch. 10: Fortifications

* * *

><p>Suzaku looked over the landscape of the Demon City. He had actually missed being here as he was in the cold chains of death. As much as he called this his home, Suzaku had other things to look forward to, like being able to traverse the Spirit World and Human World for as long as he pleased. And no human would ever get in his way. But, he did give Koenma 36 hours to think about what to do, but luckily, Suzaku was a patient man. If only he had the Makai whistle to pass the time…<p>

He didn't have anyone to talk to, either. He left Murugu in the main tower chamber. Last time he checked, she was getting acquainted with New-FOXHOUND, mostly Vulcan Raven. He chuckled as he thought of how attached the two seemed. As he was lost in his thoughts, Lazarus appeared from the tower's entrance, looking over the landscape that Suzaku fixated on.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Suzaku asked his cloaked compatriot.

Lazarus nodded. "Indeed."

"It's too bad that I'll be missing this place. I'm quivering with anticipation for when we invade the Living World." Suzaku relished at the thought.

"Actually…" Lazarus said. "There's something I have to talk to you about."

The Saint Beast turned towards the hooded man. "And what would that be, Lazarus?"

"I have a very strong indication that you'll encounter some heavy resistance." he said.

Suzaku only chuckled to himself. "You worry too much. I know Koenma will do the right thing. He doesn't want his precious humans to suffer from the NanoMakai genocide. He'll come through one way or another."

Lazarus only shook his head. "Mantis was right. You still have the same one track mind from your previous life."

"Do you care to elaborate on that?" Suzaku inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't really believe that this Koenma will just keel over and let you pass, do you?"

"Do you have a problem with my plan, Lazarus? Are you questioning my intelligence?"

"Not your intelligence, my friend." Lazarus answered, putting a hand up. "I am, however, questioning your execution of this plan."

"What are you talking about? This plan is fullproof!"

"Tell me something, Boss. Are you going to execute every living being on the planet whether or not Koenma agrees to let you pass?"

Suzaku started to chuckle, then threw his head back into a laugh. "I guess you and New-FOXHOUND know me all to well!" He said, composing himself from his laughter. "Why, yes I was. Even if Koenma agrees, I'm still going to kill everybody. No human will survive under my rule!"

Lazarus only put a hand to his cloaked face, shaking his head. "Of course you will. It's no wonder we're going to get attacked."

"And how would you know that, Lazarus?"

Lazarus fumed. "Are you really that stupid, Suzaku? If you do that, Koenma's going to have your number. It seems he already might if you demanded the same things from last time." Lazarus looked over the landscape. "I have a strong feeling that Koenma will send a strike team of his own."

"You mean that Spirit Detective? They won't show. They're not going to attack-"

"Then you are an even bigger fool than I have realized! Do you not understand, Suzaku? We sent a threatening message to Koenma, and if he received it, he's damn sure to send in a team to try and kill us!"

"And if that happens, I'll kill them all myself. Besides, I have you and New-FOXHOUND this time, right?"

"That is true, but keep in mind, we're not like the Saint Beasts. Mantis, Wolf, and Raven will need some enhancements in their abilities. And you're the only one that can provide that."

"Are you saying I should just GIVE them powers? Have you gone mad, Lazarus?"

"Do you have any better idea to repel Koenma's team? Because right now, time is of the essence, and we need to start forming a stronghold. Now, we can help you get into the Spirit and Human World, but you've got to help us, too."

Suzaku rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. I'll help the group get some power enhancements."

"Excellent, Suzaku. You'll know just how effective New-FOXHOUND can be with demon powers."

Suzaku grinned. "Well, you did resurrect me. It's the least I could do. Now, as for this place. What do you propose we should do?"

"If indeed Koenma's going to try and quell us, we need to fortify our positions." Lazarus looked around the city, and examined the remains of Maze Castle. "This place alone will not be good enough for a strong fortress. We'll have to use the whole city."

"The whole city?" Suzaku asked. "How could we do that?"

"You have the power to conjure zombie like creatures, right?"

Suzaku nodded. "You'll need to create more competent beings to guard and patrol the streets. They need to be able to attack on a moments notice." Lazarus said.

"That sounds like a good idea." Suzaku said, putting a finger to his chin. "Though it will take some time. It's not easy to conjure intelligent creatures."

"Well, you've got a bit of time, Suzaku. We need to get moving for when they do strike."

"Indeed." Suzaku said. "Go let New-FOXHOUND know about it, then. I'll give them powers in a short while."

"It will be done, Boss." Lazarus said, bowing.

"Just one question before you go."

"What's that, Suzaku?"

The Saint Beast moved eye to eye with Lazarus. "How do you know so much about what will happen? Have you been in this situation before?"

Lazarus paused. "…"

"Well? Why are you jumpy all of a sudden?"

Lazarus turned away. "Yes." He finally said. "I've done this before. Before I met you and New-FOXHOUND, I was the leader of a group of my own." Lazarus moved over to the parapets of the castle, looking into the distance. "We made demands of our own once, but we were so full of ourselves that we overlooked our own defenses." Suzaku raised his eyebrows. He was surprised. He had no idea that Lazarus actually had experience like this before.

"My previous group's plan turned disastrous. Cam-uh…" He struggled on the first word. "Koenma sent in someone of his own and quelled our group. I barely escaped with my life, and sought refuge for months." Lazarus then turned to the demon. "I'm not going to make that same mistake again. We need to fortify any and every corner we possibly can. I'm not going to go down this time. "

Suzaku smiled. Chuckling, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Worry not, my friend." Suzaku said, reassuringly. "We won't perish so easily. We'll make sure that this place will be a strong fortress for whatever happens. You have my word on it."

"Thank you, Boss."

Suzaku nodded. "Go let the group know about their enhancements. I will be down shortly."

Lazarus nodded and headed inside the tower. Suzaku turned back at the landscape and admired it one last time.

A moment later, he cracked his knuckles. He smirked to himself. "Let's get to work…"


End file.
